LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 


Dem  Good  Ole  Times 


By 


Mrs.  James  H.  Dooley 

Illustrated  by  Suzanne  Gutherz 
Decorated  by  Cora  Parker 


NEW  YORK 

Doubleday,  Page  &  Company 
1906 


Copyright,  1906,  by 

Double-day,  Page  &  Company 

Published,  October,  1906 


All  rights  reserved,  including 

that  of  translation  into  foreign  languages, 

including  the  Scandinavian 


In  ^emorp  of 

THE 
DEAR  OLD  SOUTHERN  MAMMIES 

WHOSE  LOVE  AND   FIDELITY 
WERE  THE  INSPIRATION  OF  THIS  BOOK 

S.  M.  D. 

May  Mont,  Va. 


1ST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  '  Miss  mos  live  mongst  her  flowers, 
un  wharsomever  she  went,  she  were 
de  Queen  uv  um  all.'  "  Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

"  '  Early  de  nex  mornin,  we  all  semble  on  de  lawn, 

to  pay  our  specks  to  de  Mistiss.'  "  .  .  6 
"  '  Marster,  what  is  we  done,  dat  you  should  cas 

us  off  dis  a  way? '  " 26 

"  '  Evy  Sunday  evenin  reglar,  Miss  un  de  young 

ladies  have  Sunday  school  fur   de   cullured 

chillun.'  " 42 

"  '  Soon's  she  git  in  sight,  dey  drap  taters  un  evy- 

thing  un  run  to  tell  her  howdy.'  "  .  .60 
"  '  Sho  nuff  dar  sot  Peter  un  de  possum,  one  in  de 

chur,  un  tother  on  de  fire.'  "  .  .  .  72 
"  '  She  took  he  han  un  talk  to  im,  un  pray  fur  im.'  "  82 
"  '  Early  de  nex  mornin,  is  I  spectid,  dey  come 

arter  me  again.'  "  .....  86 
"  '  When  Marse  lef  home  he  tell  me  to  teck  cyur 

uv  Mistiss  un  de  chillun.'  "  .  .  .  .90 

"Daddy  Ben." 92 

"Mammy  Chloe." no 

"  '  Ole  Mis  un  de  young  ladies  cum  down  to  read 

de  Bible  to  her.'  " 112 

"  '.  .  .  un  always  a  big  dance  Christmas 

night.'  n       ......  .         .  118 

"  '.  .  .  he  seed  sup'n  shinin  white  flewed  in  de 

top  uvdat  tree."  ' 122 

"  '  Much  is  I  could  do  to  suade  little  Mary  to 

come  long  wid  me.'  " 128 

"  '  Mammy  little  baby  chile,  doe  cry— Mammy 

jes  goin  home.' "  .         .         .         •         •         •  132 


CHAPTER  I 

GRANDADDY,  de  win  is  howlin  roun  de 
house,  un  de  snow  is  comin  down,  but 
I  gwy  roas  you  some  sweet  taters,  in  dis 
hyur  big  fire,  un  bile  a  strong  pot  a  coffee  fur  yo 
supper,  un  while  we's  eat  in,  you  kin  tell  me  bout 
dem  good  ole  times  befo  de  war,  when  ole  Marse  un 
ole  Miss  wuz  livin.  " 

"  Yas,  Honey,  I  try  to  tell  you  about  dem  times, 
caze  dey  is  always  wid  me,  but  when  I  thinks  dey 
is  gone,  un  kin  nuver  cum  back  no  mo,  pears  like 
my  ole  heart  is  empty  is  de  aig  shell  de  little 
chicken  jes  lef. 

' '  Dem  wuz  times  to  live  in;  dese  de  times  fur  free 
niggers  to  strut  bout  wid  a  empty  stummuck 
doin  noth'n,  un  mos  inginully,  like  de  tarripin, 
wid  all  he  got  on  he  back. 

"  I  members  well  de  day  Master  brung  he  young 
bride  home.  Early  de  nex  mornin,  we  all  semble 
on  de  lawn,  to  pay  our  specks  to  de  Mistiss.  She 
come  out  all  drest  in  white,  un  I  knowed  arter- 
wards  twuz  de  whiteniss  uv  her  soul,  shinin  fru 
de  skin,  dat  meek  her  look  like  de  angels  roun  de 
throne.  She  shake  hans  wid  we  all,  un  tell  us 
she  gwy  try  to  meek  us  happy,  un  how  we  mus 

3 


4  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

come  to  her  whensomever  we  gits  in  trouble. 
From  dat  day,  she  nuver  firgit  her  word. 

"Our  white  folks  wuz  de  quality.  We  own 
many  a  mile  on  Jeems  River,  un  fur  is  de  eye 
could  retch,  twuz  ourn.  De  Coloneone  house  sot 
on  a  high  hill,  all  by  itself  (dat  huccum  dey  call  it 
so,  I  reck'n)  un  de  Jeems  River  bend  mos  all  roun 
it. 

"Twuz  mighty  big  un  'pos'n — seem  like  it  stan 
high  up  in  de  worl,  sames  de  people  what  live  in  it. 
Is  you  look  down  at  de  bunance  uv  de  craps,  it 
put  you  in  min'  uv  dat  Sam — I  ay  speakin  bout 
our  black  Sam,  but  bout  one  dem  Bible  ones,  dat 
say,  'De  valleys  stan  so  thick  wid  corn,  it  meek  de 
little  hills  laugh  un  clap  dey  hans.'  Den  when 
you  see  de  long  green  medders,  wid  de  fine  slick 
horses,  un  de  fat  cattle  un  sheep,  standin  knee 
deep  in  clover,  you  say  to  yosef,  'De  Queen  She  Bee 
un  Soloman  in  all  he  glory,  couldn't  parade  like 
sich  is  dese. '  De  cabins  wuz  at  de  bottom  uv 
de  hill,  to  one  side.  Dey  wuz  always  kep  neat  un 
clean,  un  fresh  whitewashed.  Is  you  see  urn  frum 
de  house,  dey  look  like  big  white  snow-balls,  done 
roll  down  de  hill,  un  lodge  mongst  de  trees.  We 
all  had  de  finis  drive,  frum  de  gate  up  to  de  house, 
you  uver  see.  Twuz  de  Magnolia  Abenue.  A 
grassy  lawn  wuz  lef  right  in  de  middle,  wid  a  road 
on  each  side — one  to  go  in  on,  tother  to  come  out ; 
un  de  magnolias  wuz  set  in  dat  lawn,  frum  de  gate 
smack  up  to  de  house.  When  dem  trees  wuz  in 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  5 

bloom,  de  whole  place  wuz  so  sweet,  it  meek  de 
mockin  birds  mos  kill  deyself  singin.  But  dey 
wor  no  happier,  un  did'n  sing  no  louder  den  de 
nigger,  caze  he  know  fur  sho  dat  water-million  un 
blackberry  time  wor  so  mighty  fur.  On  de  outside 
uv  bofe  de  roads  dar  wuz  a  fine  row  of  elums.  So 
ole  dey  say,  is  how  Marse  George  Washin'ton  un 
de  Injuns  wuz  mo'n  ap  to  sot  un  eat  under  all  on 
urn.  Den  jest  outside  de  gates  stood  two  menjous 
oaks.  I  hear  Marster  tell  Miss  he  would' n  teck 
noth'n  in  de  worl  fur  dem  trees,  caze  dey  look  like 
dey  always  got  dey  arms  stretch  out  to  welcome 
he  friens.  Mebbe  dat  de  reason  de  house  always 
full  a  comp'ny. 

"  Evy  fambly  had  a  nice  cabin  to  deysef,  wid  a 
yard  fur  chickens,  un  a  little  garden  fur  vegables. 
We  had  a  plenty  to  eat,  a  plenty  to  war,  un  mighty 
little  wuck  to  do,  caze  dar  wuz  so  many  to  do  it. 
Whar  you  ever  hear  in  dem  times  uv  a  crazy  nig 
ger?  Now  de  country  is  full  on  urn;  pears  to  me 
like  dey  all  crazy.  Now  dey  has  to  wuck  for  deysef, 
un  think  fur  deysef,  un  took  cyur  of  deysef, 
un  dat,  wid  freedom,  is  mo'n  iny  nigger  hade  kin 
stan.  Dar  nuver  wuz  de  time,  on  dat  plantashun, 
when  you  could' n  hyur  somebordy  laughin  un  sing- 
in,  un  dar  wuz  always  some  kind  a  frolic  on  han.  Ef 
twornt  a  fumeral,  twuz  a  possum  hunt,  less'n  twuz 
a  prar  meetin,  or  a  dance — sho  to  be  one  or  tuther. 
Sometimes  a  candy  stew,  un  a  weddin  for  a  va- 
rigashum.  Dar  wuz  health  un  happiness  evywhar. 


6  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

At  de  house  twuz  dinners,  un  suppers,  un  drivin, 
un  ridin,  un  de  young  ladies  walkin  bout,  wid  de 
gempmun  joying  uv  deysef .  Look  like  de  birds 
in  de  trees  war  no  happier  den  we  all. 

"  We  wuz  always  glad  to  see  comp'ny  come,  un 
still  gladder  to  see  um  go,  caze  den  de  silver  dollers 
wuz  scatter  roun,  same's  acuns  fallin  off  de  trees. 
All  on  us  use  to  raise  chickens  un  aigs  un  things, 
un  sell  um  to  Miss,  at  de  highis  market  price. 
Sometimes  her  things  use  to  git  mix  up  wid  ourn, 
but  dat  did'n  meek  no  diffunce;  we  sell  um  jes  de 
same.  I  rickerlick  wunst  Liza  Jane's  hen  went 
to  settin,  but  she  nuver  sot  but  a  week  fo  she  lef 
de  nes.  Liza  Jane  were  powerful  stresstid  bout 
dem  aigs,  but  she  did'n  say  nuthin.  Den  orn- 
beknownst  to  inybordy,  she  tuck  em  fur  to  sell  to 
Miss. 

"She  say,  'Liza,  what  meek  dese  aigs  look  so 
dark?' 

"'Law!  Miss,  tay  noth'n  marter  wid  dem  aigs, 
scusin  de  hen  wuz  black,  un  she  lay  um  on  de 
dark  uv  de  moon.' 

"  So  Miss  bought  um.  De  nex  day,  de  cook 
broke  um  for  to  meek  some  cake;  she  see  dey  wor 
fitten  to  use,  case  dey  wuz  all  done  spile;  so  she 
show  um  to  Miss,  un  she  sarnt  for  Liza  Jane. 

"  She  say,  'Liza  Jane,  you  ought  to  be  shame  uv 
yosef ,  to  sarve  me  sich  a  trick  is  dis. ' 

"'Hi!  Miss,  twor  noth'n  de  marter  wid  dem 
aigs,  ef  you  use  em  right.  I  nuver  know  you  gwy 


'Early  de  nex  mornin,  we  all  semble  on  d«  lawn  to  pay  our  spects  to  de  Mistiss'" 

(See  page  3) 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  7 

meek  cake  outen  um — I  meek  sho  you  want  um  fur 
nes  aigs.' 

"Miss  look  solum  un  say,  'I  wo  buy  noth'n  mo 
frum  sich  a  ornliable  omun  is  you,  but  when  I 
wants  inything  nice,  the  other  servans  kin  sply 
me.' 

"Dat  cut  Liza  to  de  bone,  caze  Miss  look 
hurt  id,  but  she  did'n  spoke  a  cross  word,  un 
Liza  know  she  done  wrong.  Min'  what  I  tell 
you,  Honey,  meanniss  will  sho  sarch  you  out 
ontwell  tis  squenched  in  dat  uverlastin  fire 
herearterwoods.  Evy  cullured  puss'n  on  de 
plantashun  know  dat  Liza  Jane  nuver  had  no 
luck  wid  her  fowls  dat  yur — dey  wuz  all  tun  up 
side  down  kinder  giggersome  like.  All  uv  de 
hens  gin  to  crow,  un  de  roosters  dey  sist  on  sott'n; 
some  de  aigs  did'n  have  no  yarllers,  un  tothers  wuz 
bedout  whites. 

"  Den  all  her  chickens  gin  to  droop  un  dwingle, 
ontwell  she  loss  evy  one  on  um,  cep'n  a  ole  rooster. 
He  wuz  natchully  white  is  de  snow,  but  mos  all 
he  feathers  drap  off 'n  im,  un  dem  wuz  lef,  tun  coal 
black.  Liza  Jane  neighbors  tell  is  how  he  poke 
roun,  den  stan  still  on  one  foot,  un  cock  he  hade 
sideways  gazin  at  de  sun,  wid  a  awful  curisum 
look  in  he  eye. 

"Nobordy  nuver  see  him  eat  nuth'n,  un  ay  hear 
im  crow  none  ornjorin  de  day,  but  soon's  uver 
midnight  cum,  he  jump  on  top  de  house,  un  clap 
he  wings  unsay: 


8  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

Ha,  ha,  ha,  Haha; 
What  you  doin  dar ! 
Ha,  ha,  ha,  Haha; 
You  tote  spile  aigs  too  far! 

Jes  pintly  agivatin  Liza  un  makin  fun  on  her.  He 
tormint  dat  omun,  twell  plum  daybreck.  One 
night  she  could' n  stan  it  no  longer — she  ups  un 
flings  sup'n  at  him  un  kilt  im  dade.  Whar  he  drap 
dar  he  lay,  ontwell  de  tuckey  buzzards  cyar  im  off. 
Nobordy  dars'n  totch  im,  caze  dey  know  he  were 
sho  conjured.  When  Miss  hyur  how  misfortnit 
Liza  done  bin,  she  gin  her  some  mo  nice  chickens, 
but  she  low,  de  conjur  wo  nuver  be  took  off'n  her, 
ontwell  Miss  buy  some  uv  her  aigs  agin. 

"  De  apple  mout  a  temp  Eve,  but,  Honey,  don't 
you  nuver  furgit  it,  dat  chickens  un  water-millions 
is  bin  de  ruinashum  uv  mo  niggers  un  inything  in 
dis  worl,  scusin  freedom. 

"  I  wuz  de  hade  gardner,  wid  three  or  fo  to  hope 
me,  un  we  nuver  do  noth'n  mo'n  ten  to  de  lawn,  de 
flowers  un  de  scrubry.  In  de  busy  season,  Marse 
use  to  ax  de  loan  on  us  sometimes.  Miss  low  us 
to  go,  un  den  agin  she  did'n,  pend  on  de  portance 
uv  de  wuck  roun  de  house,  wether  she  could  spyar 
us  or  no. 

"  Miss  mos  live  mongst  her  flowers,  un  wharsom- 
ever  she  went,  she  were  de  Queen  uv  um  all. 
Many  a  time,  I  seen  her  pull  one  un  look  at  it  hard, 
like  it  is  tellin  her  sup'n,  den  tun  it  inside  out  un  tar 
it  all  to  pieces.  Sometimes  f o  it  scatter  to  de  groun, 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  9 

she  put  it  to  her  lips  like  she  do  de  baby's  han,  un 
like  she  sorry  she  treat  it  so.  Wunst  I  say,  'Miss, 
please'm  tell  me  huccum  you  tar  de  flowers  up  dat 
a-way?'  She  say,  'Ben,  dats  de  skyunceuvBotomy.' 
I  say  'yas'm,'  but  I  ay  know  no  mo  what  she  talkin 
bout  den  de  jaybird  in  de  trees.  Miss  wuz 
mighty  high  larnt,  un  could  talk  some  two  or  three 
lanmejigs,  un  dat  were  one  un  um,  I  reck'n.  Evy 
day  de  sweetis,  finis  rose  on  de  place,  wuz  cut  wid 
de  mornin  jew  on  it,  un  put  by  her  breckfuss  plate. 

"  Somebordy  sarnt  her  a  white  rose  bush,  frum 
way  cross  de  water,  un  she  sot  mo  sto  by  dat  den 
all  tothers  put  together.  It  did'n  have  no  name 
when  it  come,  but  arter  a  while,  evybordy  call  it  de 
Mistiss  rose.  Twuz  always  in  bloom  un  de  whitis, 
sweetis  flower  on  de  place,  jes  like  it  namesake. 
Ladies  cornstant  ax  fur  a  slip  uv  it,  unMiss  tell  me 
to  cut  it.  I  gives  um  slips  uv  all  tothers;  but  nary 
one  did  dey  git  uv  dat.  Den  arter  sich  a  time,  dey 
ax  me  huccum  dey  rose  ay  hansum  like  ourn.  I 
says,  'Well,  marm,  dis  de  truf :  a  heap  pends  on  de 
sile,  un  jes  is  much  on  de  man  dat  wucks  it;  dis 
rose  would' n  look  de  same  nowhar  else.'  We  al 
ways  had  de  fus  un  de  las  vegabuls,  un  de  f us  un  de 
las  fruit;  evybordy  roun,  specialty  de  poor  un  de 
needy,  speunce  de  bountichude  uv  our  home. 

"  In  dem  days,  ladies  un  gempmun  nuver  know 
what  twuz  to  sell  noth'n.  Ef  dey  had  things  to 
spyar,  un  dey  always  did,  dey  give  it  free  is  ar ;  now 
dey  even  sells  milk.  Den  nobody  nuver  hyur  tell 


io  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

uv  a  lady  wuckin,  scusin  scratchin  a  little  roun  her 
flowers  wid  kid  gloves  on.  Dese  days  mos  on  um 
has  to  wuck  un  took  cyur  uv  de  men,  less  mo  dey- 
sef .  I  nuver  see  a  lady,  what  had  ever  cornshesen 
to  put  her  own  shoe  on;  de  maids  done  dat.  Dey 
jes  went  bout  like  de  angels,  dressin  fine  un  doin 
good.  Evy  gempmun  know,  he  fuss  juty  un  pride 
wuz,  to  wait  on  de  ladies,  un  to  took  de  bes  cyur  on  um 
so's  de  sun  could' n  scotch  um  by  day,  nur  de  moon 
by  night;  eben  de  win  wor  low'd  to  totch  um  too 
rough.  De  nices  un  bes  wuz  always  fur  dem, 
same's  we  pick  out  de  warm  sheltered  places,  fur  de 
lilies  un  de  violets.  Flowers  un  Ladies  is  much  de 
same ;  dey  blooms  better  when  dey  in  de  right  place 
un  well  tended,  caze  tis  a  poor  flower  dat  have  to 
be  bruise  f o  it  give  out  it  natchful  sweetness.  Once 
a  ole  lady  wuz  stayin  wid  Miss,  un  she  un  Marse 
wuz  tookin  a  walk  in  de  gardin.  All  uv  a  sudden 
a  April  shower  cum  up.  Marse  snatch  he  fine  coat 
off  un  fling  it  roun  her,  un  she  wor  so  good  lookin 
nuther,  un  when  de  rain  po  down  de  faster,  un  she 
could' n  git  along  no  spryer,  he  jes  natchully  kotch 
her  up  in  he  arms  un  run  orntwell  she  got  to  de 
house.  Dese  times  de  men  mos  inginully  in  such 
a  hurry  to  meek  money,  ef  dey  seed  a  ole  lady  drap 
in  de  mud,  dey  would' n  stop  to  hope  pick  her  up — 
like  dem  Bible  folks,  de  Republicums  un  de  Scari- 
sees,  dey  cross  over  on  t other  side.  De  whole 
worl  dun  tun  tocksy-turby. 

"Dey  say  now,  a  nigger  jes  good  is  a  white  man, 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  n 

dat  de  erf  am  squar  un  de  sun  do  move.  One  dem 
medlin  white  men  from  de  Norf,  cum  long  tother 
day  when  I  wuz  at  wuck,  un  ax  me  sup'n,  un  I 
tole  im  what  Marse  Charles  say — he  ole  marster's 
youngis  son.  He  say,  'What  you  call  him  Marster 
fur?  You  jes  is  good  is  me,  un  jes  is  good  is  him.' 
I  says,  'Yas,  sur,  I  knows  I  jes  good  is  you  but  I  ay 
good  is  Marse  Charles.'  He  nuver  ax  me  no  mo 
queschums. 

"Las  week,  Jim  cum  back  frum  Richmon;  he 
brung  de  news  dat  he  did'n  see  nary  horse  nor 
mule  de  whole  ornjorin  time  he  were  dar.  He  say 
is  how  all  de  carrigis  un  buggies  un  things  jes 
natchully  go  long  by  deysef.  Dey  tell  im  de  rich 
folks  puts  excentrixty  in  um,  un  dat  meek  um  go. 
He  nuver  know  zackly  what  dat  is,  but  he  say  he 
sho  tis  sup'n  awful  curisum.  But  what  beat 
all  wuz,  one  of  dem  critters  dey  call  de  ortomo- 
bilious.  Dey  skyur  you  so,  dey  keep  you  bilious 
all  de  time,  un  dat  give  um  de  name.  Law!  chile, 
you  pintly  ought  to  hear  Jim's  speunce  uv  dat 
thing.  He  say  it  cut  mo  capers  un  a  Texas  mule; 
it  start  off  un  den  stop,  den  pear  to  start  again,  un 
back;  den  shoot  ahade  un  tar  long  wuss'n  a  wile 
bull  un  f  us  thing  you  know,  it  done  whirl  clean  roun 
un  flop  over  in  de  ditch.  One  uv  de  gempmun 
what  wuz  fling  out,  come  mighty  nigh  cuss'n  is 
he  got  up  out  de  dirt — he  say,  'Confoun  dis  eternal 
mash  in  (infernal  machine).'  He  low  evybordy 
gits  outen  de  way  uv  um,  caze  dey  know  dat  dey 


12  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

sesst  uv  a  evul  sperit.  Even  de  folks  dat  rides 
in  um  is  kinder  tetched  in  de  min;  dey  sets  up 
wid  dey  faces  red  un  dirty,  dey  eyes  shot  tight, 
a  holdin  dey  bref,  un  dey  hyar  a  flyin  evy  which 
a  way.  I  always  hyur  dat  de  devul  un  money  is 
de  root  uv  all  evul,  un  it  sho  to  sprout  up  in  jes 
sich  things  is  dese. 

"Jim  ay  live  wid  he  wife  in  a  long  time  un  ay 
know  whar  she  at.  Dey  tell  im  she  in  Peters 
burg,  un  he  kin  talk  to  her  over  de  foam,  un  orn- 
derstan  zackly  what  she  say.  He  say,  'I  doe  blieve 
no  sich  foolishniss  is  dat,  but  ef  I  doe  has  to  git 
no  closter  to  her  den  Petersburg,  I  ay  min  tryin. ' 
When  dey  call  her  up,  he  put  de  handle  uv  de  foam 
to  he  yur,  like  dey  tell  im,  un  he  mouf  to  de  hole 
un  say,  'Sucky,  is  you  dar?' 

"Wid  dat  Jim  tun  pale  un  lead  a  mo  drap.  He 
splain:  'Dat  sho  is  Sucky!  caze  soon's  ever  she 
hyur  me  she  holler  back,  "You  no  count  rascal, 
ef  you  doe  git  away  from  dat  foam,  I  come  over 
dar  un  buss  yo  hade  open.  " 

"Now,  Honey,  Grandaddy  done  tole  you  nuf 
to-night.  I's  tired  un  wants  to  git  to  bade.  Sides, 
I  bleeged  to  be  up  yurly  to-morrur  mornin,  to 
ten  to  sup'n  fur  Miss  Mafy,  caze  you  cyar  trus 
dese  hired  hans — dey  got  too  much  larnin  to  do 
nuth'n  cep  mischuf." 


CHAPTER  II 

"/^RANDADDY,  is  you  gwy  tell  me  some  mo 
to-night,  bout  dem  times  befo  de  war?" 

"  I  dunno,  Honey;  I  nuverwor  able  to  rickerlick 
much  on  a  empty  craw.  Ef  you  fix  a  rale  good 
supper,  it  mout  unloosen  my  tongue  to  de  chune 
uv  de  good  ole  times.  " 

"How  would  you  joy  some  dem  nice  rolls  un 
cabbage,  what  Miss  Mary  bring  you,  ef  I  het 
um  up  good  un  hot?" 

"  I  always  loves  our  white  folk's  cookin,  caze 
dey  use  to  de  bes,  un  wo  have  noth'n  else.  De 
kinder  high-fur-lut'n  cookin  dey  has  now,  wid 
dem  outlandish  names,  is  all  name  un  noth'n  to 
eat.  Bars  de  sickafree  chicken — what  is  dat? 
Tay  neither  fried,  nor  briled,  nor  yit  stewed — 
a  kinder  mixtry  uv  all  un  noth'n  much  at  dat. 
Pears  like  dat  cabbage  I  jes  eat,  sooth  my  stum- 
muck  un  settle  my  min.  Twuz  de  middlin  done  it; 
ole  Virginny  middlin  stan  jes  is  high  over  Westum 
poke,  is  possum  meat  do  over  coon. 

"You  ax  me  what  we  all  use  to  do  when  we 
come  home  in  de  evenin  arter  de  day's  wuck  wuz 
over.  De  ole  omun,  ef  she  wuz  iny  ways  dustrus  un 

15 


16  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

f rifty,  always  had  a  good  supper  fur  her  husmon  un 
chillun.  Sometimes,  twuz  a  cherry  dumplin  or  a 
apple  pie,  long  wid  a  stew;  den  agin  it  mout  be  a 
barbecue  hyar,  un  sich,  un  always  a  plenty  a 
vegabuls.  Ef  de  weather  wuz  iny  ways  mil' ,  we  all 
sot  outside  de  cabin  door,  de  ole  ones  smokin  un 
talkin,  de  young  ones  pickin  de  banjur,  laffin  un 
dancin  de  jig. 

"De  young  bucks,  de'likelies  men  on  de  place, 
use  to  have  what  dey  call  de  ole  Virginny  breck- 
down.  Dat  wuz  a  big  time  sho  nuff  for  de  cullered 
folks,  same  is  a  circus.  Dey  mos  inginully  pick  out 
a  Sadday  night,  when  de  moon  shine  bright,  un 
vite  dey  friends  un  mo  particlar  dey  sweetarts, 
to  see  de  formance.  Dey  all  put  on  dey  bes 
Sunday-go-meetin  clo'es,  un  semble  under  de  great 
big  oaks,  un  wid  de  mockin  birds  a  singin  un  de 
banjurs  a  ringin,  de  fun  begin.  Uv  all  de  cuttin 
up  un  kickin  up,  dat  sho  wuz  de  beat — look  like 
Saturn  let  loose.  De  ole  ligus  folks  clar  twar 
noth'n  but  de  devul's  wuck;  but  some  on  urn  sist 
twar  no  sin  bein  is  how  you  did'n  cross  yo  laigs. 
De  one  dat  hilt  out  de  longis  un  bruck  down  all 
de  tothers,  took  de  cake,  un  had  de  pick  uv  de  gals. 

"We  all  use  to  spen  a  heaper  time  uv  evenins, 
in  de  winter,  a  vistin  one  a  nur,  less'n  twuz  mighty 
cole,  den  sich  uv  us  is  had  de  sense,  stay  at  home, 
un  pile  de  lorgs  on  de  fire.  We  nuver  had  to  be 
sparin  uv  wood,  nor  nuth'n  else  is  I  knows  uv, 
caze  twuz  all  Marster's,  un  he  had  a  plenty  to  vide 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  17 

wid  evybordy,  less  mo  he  own.  He  did'n  know 
what  twuz  to  be  stingy  to  his  servuns.  Dat  we 
did'n  have,  we  ax  fur,  un  we  sho  to  git  it,  if  we 
zarve  it.  De  men  sot  roun  de  fire  smokin  de  pipe, 
less'n  dey  feel  like  doin  some  little  job  fur  dey 
fambly ;  de  wimmen  folks  wuz,  mos  inginully,  busy 
sewin  un  knittin  un  fussin  wid  de  chillun,  bout 
how  dey  mus  pop  de  corn,  un  roas  de  gubber  peas 
un  sweet  taters,  dat  wuz  always  on  han.  When- 
somever  comp'ny  drap  in,  what  we  sot  much  sto 
by,  we  always  han  roun  apples  un  simmon  beer 
un  things,  un  ef  dey  wuz  fus  class,  de  ole  oman 
wuz  mo'n  ap  to  fotch  out  ginger  cakes,  or  mebbe 
a  punkin  pie.  When  night  come  we  nuver  wuz 
too  tired  to  joy  oursef .  Dar  warnt  a  man  or  omun 
on  dat  plantashum,what  ever  done  a  rale  good  day's 
wuck,  scus'n  ornjorin  harvis  time,  un  even  den  de 
meanis  wuz  proud  to  tuck  in  de  fruits  uv  dey 
labor. 

"  When  de  fus  lazy,  sickish  spring  days  cum,  I 
know  sometimes,  I  use  to  drap  down  behine  de 
lilac  bushis  to  took  a  nap.  Miss  kotch  me  at  it 
too,  but  she  pear  like  she  did'n  see  me,  caze  she 
know  I  wor  gwy  sleep  long.  She  were  dat  kine, 
Gord  bless  her!  she  shot  her  eyes  to  de  evul,  but 
she  always  see  de  good.  Iny  time  John  Peter  stop 
he  wuck,  un  Marster  see  im  walkin  up  un  down 
de  gullies,  un  in  de  bushes,  un  ax  him  what  he 
doin,  he  say,  '  I  jes  tookin  cyur  uv  Miss'  fowls, 
sar.  I  seed  de  tuckeys  un  de  guineas  a  usin  dis 


i8  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

way,  un  I  thought  I  mout  find  dey  nes.'  Marster 
smile  un  shake  he  hade — he  know  what  John  Peter 
up  to.  He  done  dat  trick  so  much,  he  got  de  name 
uv  Guinea  Peter. 

"  I  wor  married  den,  but  I  bin  takin  notis  some 
time  uv  a  ginger-bread-colur  gal  name  Dilsey  Dina, 
what  ten  to  de  cows  un  de  milk.  Whensomever 
we  meet  one  a  nur,  we  pass  de  cornflimints  uv 
de  mornin.  She  ax  me,  'How  is  yo  flowers  dis 
mornin?'  'Dey  is  fine  un  sweet,'  I  say,  'un  how 
is  you  gittin  long  wid  de  cows  un  de  milk?' 
'Dey  is  well,  un  de  milk  jes  is  fresh  un  sweet 
is  yo  flowers. '  Dat  sorter  please  me,  un  I  thinks 
to  myself,  dat  gal  is  smart  un  handy.  To-night 
I  gwy  see  what  she  think  uv  me.  Cordin  to  dat, 
I  put  on  my  good  clo'es,  what  I  keep  in  sage  un 
horsemint,  fur  to  meek  um  smell  sweet,  un  starts 
to  her  house. 

"When  I  gits  dar  she  were  sottin  under  a  apple 
tree.  I  brung  some  lasses  candy  long  wid  me,  to 
hope  pass  de  time  un  to  sweeten  her  up  a  little. 
Tay  nuthin  draw  a  oman  closter  to  you,  den  a 
little  candy  un  a  plenty  a  praise.  Now  tay  no 
ways  de  same  wid  a  man ;  turbaccer  un  whiskey  is 
what  gits  him. 

"While  we  wuz  talkin  un  eatin,  I  say  kinder 
onconsarned  like,  '  Miss  Dilsey  Dina,  I  comes  fur 
to  offer  my  objecshums  to  you,  un  to  splain  dat 
you  is  de  onlyis  gal  I  scorns  to  look  upon,  fur  you  is 
de  simmon  uv  my  eyes,  un  de  possum  uv  my 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  19 

heart.  I  gives  you  my  bordy  to  tend  un  mend 
fur,  un  my  soul  to  love  an  pray  fur,  to  be  jined 
toguther  in  de  holy  state  of  ole  Virginny,  un  in  de 
bounds  uv  solemn  macrimony,  twell  death  us  do 
de  partin.' 

"  She  jump  up  un  her  eyes  far  shine.  She  say, 
'Who  is  you  nohow,  un  who  give  you  de  parmi- 
shums  to  stend  yo  tenshums  to  me?  When  I 
wants  a  coon,  I  ruther  tuck  one  outen  de  woods, 
stid  uv  a  house  coon  sich  as  you.' 

"  I  says, '  I  much  bleeged  to  you,  un  I's  proud  uv 
yo  becidjum,  caze  a  coon  suit  a  ornmannered  var 
mint,  like  you,  bettern  a  gempmun  what  doe  do 
nuthin  cep  wuck  in  flowers.' 

"  Wid  dat  she  juck  up  a  chur  un  flung  it  at  me, 
but  I  dodge  un  get  away  quick  is  I  could. 

"Dat  gal  see  de  day  she  sorry  she  did'n  cept 
uv  me,  caze  she  sich  a  wile  cat,  her  husmon  had 
to  beat  her  cornstunt.  I  wor  no  ways  down  in  de 
mouf  un  cast  away,  case  Dilsey  Dina  deject  me. 
I  knowed  dar  wuz  jes  good  fish  in  de  sea  is  ever 
walk  on  de  sho.  So  I  turn  my  intenshums  to  a  rale 
nice  little  brown  gal,  name  Ginny ,  Miss'  seamstruss, 
what  sew  fur  de  house.  She  wuz  so  neat  un  tidy- 
some,  un  so  peert  un  quick  in  her  ways,  she  got  de 
name  uv  Ginny  Wren. 

"Twor  long  fo  I  seed  in  suadin  uv  her  to  mate 
wid  me,  but  when  de  time  come  she  low,  is  how  I 
have  to  wait  ontwell  she  do  is  her  Mammy  tell 
her. 


20  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"  I  ax  her,  'What  dat  ?'  Culiered  folks  so  curisome, 
I  nuver  know  what  wuz  comin. 

"She  say  her  Mammy  done  tole  her,  nuver  to 
marry  no  man  whatsomever,  ontwell  she  seed  in 
her  sleep,  two  nights  han  runnin,  a  clar  stream  a 
water,  fallin  over  a  broad  snow  white  rock.  De 
water  sigumfy  de  happiness  dat  will  be  hern,  un 
de  rock  de  sho  foundation  she  stan  on,  ef  she  take 
de  right  puss'n. 

"  Pus  thing  I  ax  her  evy  mornin,  'Is  you  see  de 
water  un  de  rock?  She  shake  her  hade,  un  tell 
me  she  ay  see  nuthin.  It  went  on  dat  a  way  mo'n 
a  yur.  I  f otch  her  all  de  salty  things  I  ever  hyur 
tell  on,  mo  particular  de  salt  herrin,  un  she  nuver 
drink  so  much  is  a  drap  of  water,  ornjorin  de  day, 
so  is  she  want  it  so  bad,  she  mout  dream  bout  it 
uv  nights.  Den  de  las  thing  fo  she  go  to  bade, 
we  tote  white  rocks  twell  we  mos  had  nuff  to  bun" 
a  house.  But  seem  like  she  could'n  see  um  in  her 
sleep.  By  dat  time  I  wuz  plum  woed  out,  un  I 
tell  Ginny,  I  wor  like  dat  gempmun  in  de  Scriptur, 
what  wait  so  long,  he  could'n  tell  one  sister  frum 
tother,  un  den  had  to  took  bofe,  caze  I  wor  gwy 
wait  no  longer,  un  ef  she  fraid  to  trus  me,  I  know'd 
somebordy  been  meckin  eyes  at  me,  un  sendin  me 
ginger  cakes  un  things,  what  would  be  monstrus 
glad  to  git  such  is  me,  ef  she  nuver  seed  no  mo 
water  long  is  she  live.  Dat  brung  her  to  her  right 
min',  un  brung  her  quick  sho.  But  to  dis  day  I's 
got  powerful  little  use  fur  water.  Ginny  gree  to 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  21 

git  marrid  soon's  she  could.  Miss  un  de  young 
ladies  at  de  house  hope  her  un  gin  her  a  heap  a 
things,  so  twor  long  fo  she  wuz  ready. 

' '  Miss  say  we  could  be  marrid  in  her  parlor,un  she 
would  git  her  own  preacher — she  were  Pistocal — 
eff'n  we  choos'n.  Dat  jes  suit  Ginny,  caze  she 
always  love  white  folk's  ways,  un  she  say,  dey 
marrige  wuz  a  mo  serisome  un  everlastin  bizness 
den  de  cullured  people's.  Dat  were  a  fac  in  dem 
times.  But  now  dey  tell  me,  ef  you  got  a  plenty  a 
money,  you  gits  what  dey  call  a  voce,  un  husmons 
un  wives  change  one  a  nur  whensomever  dey 
please,  sames  de  birds.  Miss  tell  Ginny,  she  go 
gin  her  de  weddin  garmint,  un  ax  her  what  culur 
she  want  it.  Ginny  wuz  like  de  budderflies;  she 
love  de  brightis  culurs,  so  she  choose  red.  When 
de  day  come  un  de  precrashums  wus  all  done, 
Ginny  went  out  to  dress  hersef.  She  low,  white 
ladies  always  war  oringe  blossums  on  sich  casions, 
un  bein  is  how  she  could'n  git  none  a  dem,  it 
peared  to  her  de  oringis  would  be  jes  de  same  is 
de  flowers,  un  a  sight  pruddier.  So  she  pick  out  de 
finis  she  could  git  un  sew  one  on  each  shoulder  uv 
her  dress,  un  one  right  in  de  middle,  de  biggis,  she 
tie  on  de  tip  top  uv  her  hade — she  always  were 
tasty,  Ginny  were.  Den  we  march  in  toguther, 
un  we  had  to  go  mighty  slow  un  stidy,  caze  Ginny 
skyured  bout  dem  oringis  drapin  off  er.  De  room 
wuz  powerful  full,  but  I  ay  see  nobordy,  ontwell 
I  stop  plum  befo  de  preacher. 


22  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"  When  I  look  up,  sich  a  sight  is  he  wuz !  Dar  he 
stan  wid  noth'n  on  scus'n  he  night  gown.  I  lead 
a  mo  loss  my  bref,  but  I  pull  he  sleeve  un  say 
'  Marster,  you  done  furgit  to  put  on  yo  clo'es. ' 
He  bite  he  mouf,  un  he  shoulders  shake,  but  he 
keep  on  zortin  un  pray  in  un  jinin  us  toguther. 

"  He  say,  'Ben,  will  you  take  dis  oman  to  be  yo 
awful  wife  ? ' 

"  I  speak  up  quick,  'Ob  coas,  Marster — dat  what 
I  ax  her  fur/ 

"  Ginny  nuver  loss  a  oringe  twell  we  mos  f rough; 
den  is  she  bow  her  hade  de  biggis  one  roll  off  un 
knock  de  preacher  book  clean  outen  he  han.  I  try 
to  cotch  it,  but  I  could'n,  un  seem  like  dat  mek  de 
cumflusticashun  but  de  wusser.  When  twuz  over, 
we  all  wuz  vited  to  Aunt  Beckey's  to  a  gungeous 
supper,  un  dar  we  stay  eatin  un  frolickin  mos  all 
night.  Marse  done  tell  us,  we  kin  have  a  week 
hollurday  fur  our  honeymoon,  but  bein  is  how  dar 
war  no  moon  jes  at  dat  time,  we  ax  im  could'n 
we  tuck  de  hollurdy  all  de  same  fur  a  little 
trip. 

"  We  cide  to  go  see  my  Mammy,  what  blong  to 
ole  Miss — Marster's  Ma.  Dey  wuz  powerful  glad 
to  see  we  all,  un  treat  us  mighty  good,  but  arter 
two  or  three  days,  me  un  Ginny  gits  homesick  un 
wants  to  git  back.  We  splain  to  um  dey  need  us 
at  home,  caze  I  knowed  twor  nobordy  to  ten  to 
Miss'  flowers  same's  me.  When  we  leave,  ole 
Miss  sen  us  in  her  wagin,  un  gin  us  a  little  pig, 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  23 

some  sweet  taters,  un  sugar  un  corfee.  It  run  in 
de  blood  uv  our  fambly  to  be  kine  un  good. 

"  When  we  git  to  our  own  little  cabin,  we  open  de 
doo,  un  could'n  go  no  furder.  Dar  wuz  red  un  white 
cutt'ns  on  de  winders,  a  nice  little  table,  un  churs, 
a  set  a  white  chiny ,  un  forks  un  spoons  un  mos  evy- 
thing  fur  house-keepin,  eben  a  cubburd  in  de 
cornder.  My  Marster  un  my  Mistiss  done  'vide  all 
dis  fur  us.  Ginny  look  at  me  un  say, '  Ben,  ef  we 
ay  good  un  faithful  to  our  white  folks,  we  ay  fittin 
to  live. ' 

"We  had  all  we  want,  un  twarnt  nobordy  on  dis 
yuth  happier  den  we  all. 

"Outside  de  winder,  de  little  wrens  wuz  busy,  un 
singin  in  de  honey-shuckles  all  day  long ;  inside  my 
Ginny  Wren  wuz  doin  jes  de  same,  wid  a  heart  jes 
is  light  un  free.  Honey,  I  cyar  spec  to  meek  you 
ornderstan  bout  dem  times,  caze  you  ay  nuver 
had  no  Marster  un  Mistiss  to  larn  you,  un  to  took 
cyur  on  you ;  nuthin  but  a  poor  pascel  a  free  niggers 
what  had  mighty  little,  un  knowed  still  less.  But 
dar  nuver  will  be  sich  agin  dis  side  a  Heben. 

"Things  went  on  like  dat  a  good  long  time,  but 
dey  could'n  las  foruver.  Our  little  chile  wuz  tuck 
sick  wid  de  hoopin  cough.  Ginny  nuss  him  day  un 
night,  wid  Miss  to  hope  her,  un  Marster  he  come 
down  too,  un  gin  us  money  fur  to  git  whatsomever 
de  baby  want. 

"  But  no  thin  did'n  do  no  good;  he  git  weaker  un 
weaker,  twell  at  las  he  lef  us.  Ginny's  heart  wuz 


24  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

mos  broke,  un  she  could'n  eat  nur  sleep.  Miss 
try  evy  way  to  comfut  her,  un  tell  her  how  de 
good  Shepherd  had  took  de  little  lamb  into  de 
everlastin  fold,  whar  dar  warn't  no  mo  pain  un 
death,  jes  green  pastures  un  still  waters  with  His 
han  to  lead  him  in  dat  promis  Ian.  But  Ginny 
did'n  took  no  intrus  in  nothin ;  she  loss  all  her  chur- 
ful  ways.  Den  Miss  say,  mebbe  ef  she  tuck  her 
in  de  house,  un  low  her  to  nus  her  own  little  Mary, 
she  mout  git  better,  un  twuz  jes  like  she  say. 
Soon's  uver  Ginny  tuck  dat  chile  in  her  charge, 
she  say,  pear  like  her  heart  start  to  beat  agin,  un 
frum  dat  time  she  love  it  sames  her  own.  Ef 
de  chile  wuz  iny  ways  cormplainin,  Ginny  wuz  mos 
stractid.  She  low,  she  would  die  iny  day,  to  save 
dat  chile's  life,  caze  she  be  dade  now  ef  twor  fur 
her." 

"  Grandaddy,  is  dat  our  Miss  Mary,  what  take 
cyur  on  us  now,  un  so  good  to  we  all?  " 

"  Yas,  Honey;  she  favor  her  Ma,  scus'n  she  ay  so 
hansum  is  she  were,  doo  she  hard  to  beat  at  dat.  I 
ricklick  one  day  Ginny  had  her  out  on  the  lawn 
— she  wor  no  mo'n  eight  monts  ole — she  sot  her 
on  de  grass  under  a  big  oak  tree,  while  she  step 
to  a  bush  to  pull  a  flower  fur  her  to  play  wid. 
I  wuz  tother  side  de  tree,  un  is  I  look  roun  I  seed 
a  great  big  mockerson  snake — one  dem  pisenus 
ones — crawlin  to  dat  chile,  wid  he  hade  mos  in 
her  lap.  Pears  like  I  tun  to  stone.  I  could'n 
frow  else  I  hit  de  baby,  un  dar  war  no  stick  handy, 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  25 

so  I  creep  a  step  or  two  un  grab  im  by  de  tail. 
Cose  he  bite  me,  un  much  is  I  could  do  to  shuck 
im  off  my  wris.  Ginny  run  screamin  to  de  house 
close  by,  un  Marster  he  come  out  wid  a  bottle  uv 
whiskey,  un  meek  me  drink  it  ontwell  I  did'n  know 
noth'n.  When  I  open  my  eyes  de  fus  thing  I  ax, 
'Did  I  save  dat  chile?'  My  arm  swell  up  mos 
big  is  my  bordy,  un  I  wuz  sick  in  bade  two  weeks. 
De  doctor  say  I  come  mighty  nigh  dyin,  un  I  sho 
would,  cep'n  fur  de  good  nussin  I  had.  Marster  un 
Mistiss  scacely  lef  me  day  nur  night.  Arter  I  got  well 
Marster  sarnt  fur  me  one  mornin.  He  say,  'Ben, 
you  been  a  faithful  good  man,  un  now  you  wuz 
willin  to  give  yo  life  to  save  my  chile.  I  am  goin 
to  set  you  un  yo  wife  free,  un  give  you  somethin 
to  start  on.'  I  look  at  him  in  distonishment,  un 
say,  'Marster,  what  is  we  done,  dat  you  should  cas 
us  off  dis  a  way?  Now  I  know  fur  sho,  dat  de  ole 
sarpunt  is  de  devul — he  mos  kill  me,  but  doe  let  im 
Jtun  us  out'n  de  gard'n  uv  Edom,  un  stroy  us  alto- 
guther.  Dis  is  our  home — we  cyar  live  nowhar 
else.  We  wants  to  wuck  fur  you,  long  is  we  live, 
un,  please  Gord,  arter  we  die,  we  hopes  to  be  wid 
you  in  Heben.' 

"  Marster  wuz  so  full  he  could'n  say  nuthin,  but 
he  tuck  my  han  un  squez  it,  un  put  he  hankchuf 
to  he  eyes.  Den  he  tell  me  to  think  bout  it,  un 
whensomever  I  wants  freedom,  I  kin  git  it. 

"  I  ay  nuver  study  bout  it  sense,  cef 'n  to  thank 
Gord  I  wor  like  dem  free  niggers  in  Chesterfiel, 


26  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

what  would  a  starve  long  go,  ef  twor  fur  de  white 
folks  always  a  hopen  urn,  caze  dey  mos  live  on 
herrin  hade  hash. 

' '  Dat  wuz  long  bef o  I  uver  hyur  tell  uv  de  omun 
dat  writ  bout  Unc  Torm  Cabin.  She  must  er- 
soshate  wid  mighty  mean  niggers,  un  powerful  poo 
white  trash,  to  git  sich  noshuns  is  dem.  She  un 
John  Brown — some  say  he  wuz  black;  I  dunno  caze 
I  ay  nuver  see  him — better  had  a  stayed  at  home, 
un  min  dey  own  bisness,  stid  er  comin  down  here 
upsott'n  things,  un  tryin  to  riz  a  reserreckshum 
mongst  we  all,  what  dey  doe  know  nothin  bout. 

"Now  dey  done  sot  us  free,  pears  like  dey  doe 
know  what  to  do  wid  us,  no  mo'n  we  know  what 
to  do  wid  oursef .  Cose  dar  wuz  some  bad  Mars- 
ters;  but  whar  dar  wuz  one  bad  one,  dar  wuz 
mo'n  a  hundud  good  ones,  un  de  wuss  wor  is  mean 
is  de  cullered  folks  is  now  to  deysef .  Mebby  it  do 
some  good  to  larn  de  cullured  people  fur  to  read 
un  write,  so's  dey  can't  cheat  un  squingle  one  a 
nur;  mo'n  dat  is  a  disumbantage — it  jes  put  no 
shuns  in  dey  hade,  un  meek  um  onmannered  un 
no  count.  Dar  is  mighty  few  Booker  Washintons, 
un  dey  is  powerful  lonesome,  caze  dey  'bove  dey 
own  culler  un  ay  nigh  retch  up  to  de  white  folks. 

"Honey,  when  I's  dade  un  gone,  don't  you  nuver 
low  nobordy  'suade  you  to  go  Norf,  fur  to  live. 
Mebby  you  gits  mo  wages,  but  you  ay  nuver  know 
what  a  day's  wuck  is,  ontwell  you  draw  de  Yankee's 
money.  Tis  mos  like  teckin  his  blood,  un  you 


1  Marster,  what  is  we  done,  dat  you  should  cas  us  off  dis  a  way?' 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  27 

pintly  has  to  be  up  un  a  doin  fo  dey  think  you 
zarve  it.  Soons  ever  fall  come,  up  dar,  you  gin 
to  shake  un  freeze,  un  you  doe  thaw  no  mo  twell 
mos  summer.  Den  dey  speak  so  short  un  look 
so  cole  at  you,  you  feels  fros-bited  in  yo  feel- 
ins  all  de  time.  You  wucks  un  eats  yo  bread,  but 
tay  wid  de  sweat  uv  de  brow  cordin  to  de  ker- 
manmints.  Tis  too  cole  up  dar  fur  iny  kine  uv 
persrashum  whatsomever,  un  whar  you  is  so 
sichumvatid  you  has  to  go  gin  natur  un  gin  Scrips 
tur,  you  better  lef  on  de  fus  train  un  go  back 
home  to  Dixie. 

"De  Yankees  is  powerful  fond  uv  we  all,  when 
dey  is  dar  un  we  is  hyur,  but  soonsuver  we  gits 
iny  closter,  dey  ay  got  no  mo  use  fur  us  den  a  rab 
bit  got  fur  a  tar  pot.  De  Souf  is  de  place  fur 
quality  white  folks,  un  fus-class  darkies;  tis  de 
Ian  uv  Goshum,  caze  it  flow  wid  milk  un  honey, 
un  possums  un  simmons,  un  de  bes  uv  evything 
what  is  appetit'n.  Whar  is  dar  sich  anuther  place, 
dat  you  walks  through  de  woods  knee  deep  in  jew- 
berries?  Un  when  you  come  out  in  de  road,  all 
you  got  to  do  is  to  retch  out  yo  han  un  bring 
it  back  full  er  blackberries. 

"De  Simmons  no  whar  grow  so  sweet — 
Ez  in  Virginia; 

Un  dar's  no  whar  sich  Possum  meat, 
Ez  in  Virginia; 

De  Nigger's  heart  is  always  light, 

Caze  dar  is  little  wuck  in  sight, 
Down  in  Virginia. 


28  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"De  folks  ay  no  whar  else  so  kine, 

Ez  in  Virginia ; 
De  weather  ay  no  whar  so  fine, 

Ez  in  Virginia ; 

You  nuver  pestered  wid  much  clo'es; 
You  drap  down  inywhar  un  doze, 

Down  in  Virginia. 

"De  millions  no  whar  grow  so  big, 

Ez  in  Virginia ; 
De  sile  so  light  we  sildum  dig, 

Down  in  Virginia; 

"Un  whar  yo  home  so  good  un  sweet, 
Dat  Heb'n  un  yuth  bofe  seem  to  meet — 
Dats  ole  Virginia.' 

"  In  de  season,  wharsomever  a  nigger  have  to  go, 
his  nighis  way  is  always  fru  de  watermillion 
un  de  mushmillion  patch.  Dar  dey  lay  so  thick 
un  fine,  he  jes  natchully  bump  gin  um,  un  sqush 
um  open. 

1 '  When  de  morkin  bird  kill  de  June  bug,  f  o  he  eat 
him,  he  fly  up  in  de  ar  un  sing  fur  joy;  so  de  nigger 
when  he  see  de  red  meat  of  dat  million,  un  feel  de 
sweet  juce  runnin  fru  he  fingers,  jes  like  de  bird, 
he  open  he  mouf  wide  un  sing: 

"  'Ham  bone  am  sweet,  beats  all  de  meat, 

Possum  am  vey,  vey  fine, 

But  give  me,  oh!  give  me,  de  bestis  thing  uv  all — 
Tis  de  watermillion  hanging  on  de  vine.'  " 


CHAPTER  III 

"TS  JINNY  min'  settle  down  quiet  like,  she  say 
she  wor  riz  a  monimint,  onde  mem'ry  uv  our 
little  Ben.  She  low  she  doe  wor  look  no  ways 
stuck  up  un  arified,  un  like  she  done  tuck  too 
much  pattern  arter  de  white  folks.  So  she  say 
she  gwy  ax  Miss  bout  it,  un  she  tell  her  twuz 
all  right,  un  dat  it  show  de  right  sperit. 
Den  she  elude  to  go  straight  long  un  do  it  bedout 
no  delay.  I  ax  her  is  it  gwy  be  white  like  some  I 
done  see.  She  tell  me  nor — white  marvel  suit 
white  folks,  but  bein  is  how  our  chile  were  dark, 
she  ay  gwy  put  no  misgreeunce  twix  him  un  de 
stone,  un  she  gwy  try  to  git  it  to  match  im, 
nigh  is  she  could.  Ginny  always  were  mighty 
tasty  un  jedgmatical,  Ginny  were.  When  it 
come  we  wuz  mighty  proud  on  it,  caze  twuz 
a  brown  slab  like  she  want,  wid  a  nice  quiet 
sheep  on  top'n  it,  un  de  piece  uv  potry  she  done 
writ  fur  to  go  on  de  stone,  wuz  dar  too.  Huc- 
cum  Ginny  so  smart,  she  nuver  git  her  school 
larin  frum  no  cullured  folks.  Miss  un  de  young 
ladies  gin  it  to  her,  so  she  could  read  un  write 
good  is  inybordy." 

3* 


32  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"Grandaddy,  I  disremember  bout  dat  epicalf; 
could  you  tole  me  what  tis?" 

"  Cose  I  nuver  gwy  furgit  dat.  Under  de  sheep 
wuzwrit: 

"  'In  lovin  memry  uv  what  use  to  wuz — tis  little  Ben. 

"  'Here  lies  de  bordy  uv  po  little  Ben, 
We  ay  gwy  see  im,  in  I  dunno  when; 
Twuz  hard  to  part,  but  it  could  a  bin  wuss, 
Caze  Ben  mouter  bin  a  no-count  cuss.' 

"  We  ax  Brer  Isuck — he  de  plant ashun  preacher 
— to  form  de  ceremony  uv  sottin  it  up.  At  fuss 
he  flat  fuse  to  have  noth'n  to  do  wid  dem  marvel 
wucks,  caze  he  low  twuz  gin  Scriptur,  dat  de  Bible 
say,  'Marvel  not,'  un  he  done  teck  notis  tis  mos 
always  a  graveyard  biznis  inyhow. 

"  Den  Ginny  splain  to  him  dat  de  Bible  say,  'Mar 
vel  not,  my  bretherin,'  un  nuver  say  a  word  bout 
de  sistrin,  what  wuz  spornsible  fur  dis  job. 

"  Den  he  low  he  would' n  spute  no  mo  bout  it, 
un  ef  dat  wuz  de  case,  he  cept  uv  de  privdige,  un 
mighty  bleedged  to  us  fur  de  cormpmints.  Me 
un  Ginny  want  things  done  quiet  un  peacable  like, 
but  Brer  Isuck  sist,  is  twar  nary  nuther  one  like  it, 
no  whar  roun,  twuz  jue  to  dat  monimint  un  to 
de  dade,  less  mo  to  hesef  un  de  whole  plantashun, 
dat  de  glory  uv  dat  casion  should  shine  in  de  face 
uv  de  whole  country,  caze  you  mus'n  hide  yo 
light  under  a  bush  nohow.  De  nex  sunshiny 
Sunday,  by  time  we  all  got  to  de  cullured  buryin 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  33 

groun,  dar  wuz  a  cloud  a  witnissis  aroun;  un  still 
a  comin  frum  een  to  een  uv  de  county.  De  tellin 
nigger  done  bin  roun,  un  spread  de  news  frum 
plantashun  to  plantashun.  I  nuver  see  so  many 
niggers  toguther  befo,  whar  dar  war  nuthin  to  eat 
nur  drink. 

"Brer  Isuck  tuck  a  heap  on  hesef,  un  wuz  de 
'cock  uv  de  walk,'  dough  me  un  Ginny  vide  de  en- 
tainmint,  caze  we  pay  a  sight  a  money  fur  jes  a 
piece  a  stone.  But  de  sheep  un  de  potry  wuz 
what  meek  it  cost,  I  reckon. 

"  Arter  he  strut  roun,  shakin  hans  un  showin  he 
sef  to  evybordy,  on  count  uv  he  good  clo'es,  den 
he  call  de  meetin  to  order.  Den  he  say,  'Sisters  un 
brothers,  let  us  all  jine  in  de  ole  f amilus  hymn,  dat 
our  people  bin  singin  evy  sense  we  lef  Africy,  un 
it  suitable  to  dis  cashun;  caze  twuz  de  corpse's 
favorite.'  Den  he  gin  out  a  verse,  'I'll  be  dar  ar-a- 
ar,  I'll  be  dar  ar-a-ar,  when  de  genul  role  is  call, 
I'll  be  dar.' 

"Is  de  singin  went  on,  Brer  Joe  un  de  tother 
leadin  members  lay  decornder  stone,  un  sot  de  toom 
on  top'n  it.  Den  Brer  luck  riz  up  in  he  might,  un 
show  de  tower  a  strank  he  were  in  Isrum.  He 
say,  'My  sistrin  un  brethrin,  one  much  is  tother, 
we  semble  hyur  to-day,  not  is  wanderin  los  sheep, 
but  like  a  rejicin  flock,  dat  know  de  little  lambs  is 
safe  frum  de  stroyin  wolves  dat  prowls  aroun.  We 
cum  to  sot  up  a  monimint  to  dis  favored  little  one, 
dat  so  long  is  de  worl  stan,  evybordy  kin  know  dar 


34  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

he  is.  Tay  many  cullured  remains  dat  has  dis 
tenshun  paid  um,  un  tay  frum  lack  a  feelin  nur 
dispomsition  nuthur,  but  seem  like  de  want  uv 
money  cramp  de  heart,  well  is  de  han.  My 
brethrin,  I  ax  yo  respects  to  dis  pint,  when  dat 
grief-stractid  sister  say  hyur  lies  de  bordy,  she  doe 
mean  dat  little  bordy  is  tellin  ur  lies — it  would' n 
ef  it  could,  caze  it  nuver  done  dat  when  twuz  livin, 
un  jes  could  spoke  a  few  words. 

"  'Dat  were  a  mos  orncommon  good  chile,  un 
nuver  cry  fur  what  it  want,  but  ax  for  it  un  always 
got  it  fo  it  cry;  uv  sich  is  de  kingdom  uv  Heben, 
un  dar  be  few  like  im.  Un  I  tecks  dis  casion  to  say, 
whether  tis  de  fault  uv  de  mammies  ur  de  chillum, 
I  dunno,  but  dis  one  thing  I  does  know  un  kick 
ginst,  dat  down  dar  in  de  quarters,  uv  July  nights, 
twix  de  bull  frogs  un  de  cryin  babies  dar  ay  much 
res'  fur  nobordy.  Den  dat  potry  go  on  fur  to  say, 
"Poo  little  Ben" — now,  my  friends,  I  sho  tay 
nary  heart  in  dis  big  crowd,  less'n  it  mighty  sin- 
soaked,  dat  doe  feel  tender  to  evything  dat's  little, 
specialty  de  wimmin  folks ;  dey  knows  how  close 
de  little  things  gits  to  you.  Un  little  Ben  wuz 
monstrous  little  un  got  littler  fo  he  die.  Den  come 
de  true  B  apt  is,  Chrischum  resinashum  what  I  is 
proud  on,  when  de  stractid  mother  tell  is  how  tis 
hard  to  part,  but  it  could  a  bin  wuss,  cose  tis  al 
ways  hard  to  part  wid  inything  (doe  meek  no  dif- 
funcewhat  it  mout  be),  caze  ef  you  doe  want  it  yo- 
sef,  tis  hard  to  think  somebordy  else  gwy  git  it. 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  35 

But  ef  n  you  stick  to  de  narrer  path  a  juty,  un  feel 
un  ac  right,  you  mo'n  ap  to  git  yo  reward. 

"  'Twuz  jes  so  wid  our  reavdid  sister.  Twor  long 
arter  her  little  black  sheep  were  tuck,  fo  a  nuther 
white  one  wuz  put  in  de  vacum  place,  caze  Mistiss 
tun  over  her  own  little  Mary  to  her  to  nus  un  ten. 
Un  now  she  same's  her  own.  But  mo'n  dat,  I 
looks  a  hade,  wid  de  prophit's  eye,  un  what  I  see? 
Tis  a  angel  a  mussy  ef  dat  chile  spyared,  took'n 
cyur  uv  dem  agid  parrunts,  caze  she  a  chip  uv  de 
ole  block,  un  dat  block  nuver  fail  yit.  But  my 
brethrin,  I  has  to  prepyar  you  fur  dat,  dat's  comin. 
Tay  so  greeble  is  what  have  gone  befo,  un  I  wish 
de  fus  had  bin  las,  un  all  de  time;  but  I  nuver 
shucks  my  juty,  un  so  I  bleege  to  stick  to  de  tex. 
De  las  word  uv  dat  tear-strick'n  potry  is  git  me 
stalldid,  caze  no  sef-spectin,  cornshentus  B  apt  is 
preacher  dars'n  tuck  dat  word  in  vain.  He  lowed 
to  teck  a  heap,  but  not  sich  is  dat.  I  ay  castin  too 
much  blame  on  de  reavdid  mother,  caze  she  a 
oman,  un  dey  is  weak  un  ornliable,  bedout  de 
spornsibilityniss  uv  we  men.  Den  agin,  a  heaper 
lowance  have  to  be  made  fur  potry,  caze  it  kivers 
a  mulchude  a  foolishniss.  Dars  a  heap  in  it  on 
count  uv  de  soun,  dat  doe  mean  noth'n.  But  de 
sense  un  de  soun  uv  dis  word  is  all  right;  tis  de 
strank  uv  de  same  what  fen  de  yurs  uv  de  meek  un 
richus,  sich  is  me. 

1  'My  Brethrin,  de  low-sinkin  sun  min'  me  dat  I 
mus  cut  short  dis  dress  un  bring  it  to  a  close.  It 


36  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

ought  to  min'  all  on  us  dat  we  will  be  low  un  sinkin 
too,  fo  our  lights  goes  out  furiver.  We  cyar  do 
no  better  den  dismiss  de  meetin  wid  de  same  soul- 
sarchin  hymn,  "  I'll  be  dar." 

"On  de  way  home  Ginny  low,  she  ay  nuver 
speunce  de  same  sef-satyf acshum,  dat  she  feel  like 
her  soul  soarin  on  de  wings  uv  peace  un  plenty. 

"  Den  she  say  is  how  evything  happen  fur  de  bes, 
caze  ef'n  Ben  had  live  to  be  a  man,  he  nuver  would 
a  had  is  much  fuss  made  over  him,  less'n  dey  hang 
im,  un  dat  would  a  bin  a  mighty  bad  accydent. 
De  cullured  folks  buryin  groun  wuz  mos  de  han- 
somis  part  uv  de  place.  Yurs  ago,  Marster's 
Grandma  pick  it  out  un  sot  it  aside  fur  de  pup- 
pose.  Twus  sitivated  on  a  hill  mongst  fine  ole 
trees  uv  evy  kind,  but  dey  did'n  keep  out  de  sun 
by  day,  nor  de  moon  by  night.  De  dorgwoods  un 
de  red  buds  wuz  so  thick,  dat  in  May,  dey  look 
like  banks  uv  pink  un  white  snow.  Seem  like  de 
birds  un  de  wile  flowers  love  dat  quiet  place  de 
bes  uv  all.  Dar  wuz  scarcely  a  tree  bedout  a 
nes',  un  always  supp'n  in  bloom,  from  March 
twell  mos  Christmus.  Is  dey  come  long  in  ro- 
gashum,  violets,  wile  pansies  un  buttercups  kiver 
de  whole  place  wid  purple,  pearl  un  gole.  De 
good  Lord  Hesef  meek  buful  de  restin  place  uv 
de  meek  un  lowly.  De  darkies  say  de  flowers  give 
up  de  secrets  uv  de  grave,  caze  de  flowers  dat  grow 
on  top'n  it  mo'n  ap  to  tell  what  de  puss'n  wuz, 
dat  lay  in  it.  Ef  twuz  buttercups,  dey  say  he  were 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  37 

greedy  uv  gole;  ef  twuz  pansies,  dey  show  he 
heart  at  ease;  ef  twuz  de  little  wile  furgit-me-not, 
he  were  faithful  un  did'n  furgit  he  juty;  but  de 
blood-red  cardmul  flower  wuz  a  turrible  sign,  caze 
twuz  de  devul's  torch  un  lit  by  de  soul  beneaf. 
Dem  flowers  wor  no  ways  numersome,  in  our  skim- 
etery,  but  dey  say  de  one  on  de  plant ashun  jinin 
ourn,  wuz  mos  run  away  wid  um.  I  dun  teck 
notis  dey  mos  inginully  grows  in  low  damp  places, 
so  I  meek  Ginny  promise  me  ef'n  I  die  fus,  she'l 
see  dat  I's  laid  somewhar  high  un  dry. 

"  Speakin  uv  fumeruls  put  me  in  min'  uv  what 
Jim  tell  me  bout  Richmond  when  he  were  dar. 
He  low  tis  de  greatis  place  to  live  in  he  uver  struck 
on  count  of  de  cheapness  uv  watermillions  un 
fumerals.  He  tell  me  de  niggers  kill  deysef  eatin, 
un  den  you  tun  roun  un  ride  to  mos  many  fumerals 
is  you  choose,  bedout  even  putt'n  yo  han  in  you 
pocket  to  pay  nary  cent.  He  say,  he  nuver  did 
have  sich  a  good  time  befo,  caze  one  day  he  went 
to  three  on  um,  un  wor  no  ways  quainted  wid  de 
remains. 

"  Talk  bout  dat  pen-in-de-cetis,  he  low  de  water- 
million-eatis  cyar  off  mo  niggers  den  all  tother 
citisis  un  getisis  put  toguther. " 


CHAPTER  IV 

RAND  ADD  Y,  did  you  all  use  to  go  to  church 
un  de  Sunday  school  bef o  de  war  ?' ' 

"Go  long,  chile,  cose  we  done  dat.  What 
you  reck'n  we  Baptis  fur,  ef  twant  to  pray  un 
shout  wid  one  nuther  at  de  meetin  house?  Ef 
you  stay  at  home  it  nuver  profit  you  noth'n, 
no  matter  what  you  wuz.  I  done  teck  notis  dat 
ligion  sets  mighty  light  on  de  stummuck  uv  de 
puss'n  what  nuver  goes  to  church.  He  so  smart, 
he  spec  to  go  to  Heben  his  own  way,  jes  like  he 
done  made  de  road,  less'n  he  stay  way,  caze  he 
feel  out  a  place  in  sich  good  company.  He  so 
blind  he  doe  even  know  de  devul  leadin  im.  De 
mole  doe  know  nuther  dat  overhade  is  de  blessed 
sunshine. 

"Ligion  ay  eben  de  rale  thing  now  it  use  to  wuz. 
Cullured  folks  had  to  starve  deysef  un  pray  un 
seek,  sometimes  a  mont  or  mo,  fo  dey  come  fru. 
You  had  to  be  right  good  un  serisome,  fo  you 
could  meek  up  yo  min'  to  go  under  de  deep,  dark 


42  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

waters  what  de  Baptis  souge  you  in.  But  den 
when  you  git  it  you  had  it.  Now  dey  go  to  church 
bedout  ever  wraslin  wid  de  devul,  or  loss'n  a 
moufful,  un  gits  sprinkled  like  de  white  folks,  un 
comes  out  what  I  call  ready-made  Chrischums. 
It  doe  las  long,  caze  what  come  easy  go  easy.  Tis 
like  de  seed  on  de  rock,  dey  come  up  but  doe 
byar  no  fruit,  caze  de  root  is  lackin. 

"  Evy  Sunday  evenin  reglar,  Miss  un  de  young 
ladies  have  Sunday  school  fur  de  cullured  chillun. 
Sich  rubbin  un  scrubbin  is  de  mammies  give  dem 
chillun  Sadday  night,  to  meek  um  spry  fur  de 
nex  day!  Dey  mos  inginully  wo  little  caliky 
frocks  un  white  apuns,  un  ef  dey  skin  wuz  mighty 
black,  dey  mammies  use  to  grease  dey  face  to  meek 
um  shine. 

"  One  evenin  Miss  un  de  chillun  wuz  on  dey  knees 
at  prars — dat  de  way  she  always  open  de  school — 
un  Betsy,  de  blackis  little  pigadinny  on  de  place, 
come  runnin  in  un  holler:  'Mistis,  Mistis!  Mammy 
say  please'm  scuse  dis  piece  a  hyar  she  done  tie 
up  so  tight  on  top'n  my  hade,  caze  my  frote  am  sore 
un  my  palit  done  down,  un  dis  de  onlyis  way  she 
know  to  pull  it  up.' 

"  Sometimes  you  see  five  or  six  on  um,  wid  dey 
hyar  tied  up  like  snouts  on  de  tip  top  uv  dey  hade, 
caze  twuz  de  quickis  way  to  git  de  palit  up,  ef 'n 
it  fall  down.  But  white  folks  ligion  nuver  did 
gree  wid  cullured  folks,  un  dey  did'n  have  much 
use  fur  it  less'n  dey  wuz  mighty  sick  un  bout  to 


Evy  Sunday  evenin  reglar.  Miss  un  de  young  ladies  have  Sunday  school 
fur  de  cultured  chillun'" 


3Vh 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  43 

die.  Den  dey  always  want  Miss,  un  she  hope 
many  a  poor  soul  cross  dem  stormy  waters  over  to 
de  shinin  sho;  night  er  day,  rain  er  shine,  when- 
somever  dey  want  her,  she  sho  to  come. 

"  Betsy  were  a  bad  chile,  un  is  she  growed  up, 
she  were  ontied  from  de  rack.  Nobordy  could'n 
do  noth'n  wid  her.  We  all  talk  to  her  un  try  to 
suade  her  to  git  ligion,  but  her  min'  wor  sot  dat  a 
way.  Arter  she  weed  a  wide  row,  she  low  she  gwy 
do  better. 

"  So  one  night,  when  we  wuz  all  at  prar  meetin, 
Betsy  went  up  to  the  moaner's  bench.  Arter  we 
all  jine  in  prar  fur  her  a  little  while,  she  jump  up 
un  clap  her  hans  un  say,  'I  got  it,  I  got  it!  tis  right 
here  in  my  breas,  un  jes  is  sweet  is  honey  in  de 
honey  comb.'  Wid  dat  she  holler  un  shout  un 
rip  un  tar,  sames  she  done  gone  clean  stractid. 
I  ay  nuver  blieve  in  all  dat  rackit,  caze  de  emty 
cyart  is  always  de  one  dat  rattle  de  loudis  un  meek 
de  mos  fuss.  Den  she  give  in  her  speunce,  like 
dey  ax  her.  She  say,  'De  night  wuz  dark  un  de 
way  wuz  long  un  tegersome,  un  is  I  stumble  long 
f ru  de  thorns  un  briers  un  fall  over  de  rocks  wid  a 
bustin  heart  un  a  bleedin  foot,  pears  like  I  see  a 
rooster  black  is  coal,  jes  out  er  reach  er  my  han, 
un  is  I  try  to  ketch  im,  he  tun  to  a  black  cat  un 
run  in  de  bushis.  I  keeps  on,  ontwell  I  come  to  a 
g-r-e-a-t  big  watermillion  layin  plum  in  de  paf .  Den  I 
meek  sho  my  trouble  wuz  over,  but  is  I  bruck  it 
open,  de  meat  tun  to  brimstone  un  de  juice  tun 


44  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

to  fire;  it  bun  de  bref  clean  outen  my  bordy  un  I 
drap  down  in  a  fit.  When  I  come  to,  I  wuz 
hangin  over  hell  on  a  horse  hyar,  wid  de  devul 
standin  right  under  me  ready  to  kotch  me  on  he 
pitch-fork.  Sisters  un  brothers,  dat  wuz  a  parlous 
time.  Sometimes,  is  de  horse  hyar  trimble  un 
shake,  I  meek  sho  I  bleege  to  drap  in  dat  bottum- 
liss  pit.  Den  I  holler,  loud  is  I  could,  "Doe  totch 
me — I'se  a  Baptis,  un  you  ay  got  no  place  down  dar 
fur  Baptis  un  fur  water,  caze  I  see  all  kinds  a  folks 
down  dar  scusin  Baptis  un  niggers."  Twarnt  nary 
one  uv  dein  no  whar  roun.  Is  I  keep  on  a  tellin  him 
dat,  pears  like  de  strank  come  to  me  to  riz  up  un 
run,  un  dat  huccum  I  hyur  now.' 

"  Den  de  sistrin  un  de  brethren  all  cum  crowdin 
roun  her,  to  sten  de  right  han  uv  fellowshif ,  un  tell 
her  to  keep  on  is  she  begin,  un  to  let  dat  buful 
speunce  shine  like  de  blazin  sun,  ontwell  it  put  out 
de  darkniss  uv  de  worl,  de  flesh,  un  de  devul.  Twor 
long  arter  dat  soul-sarchin  speunce,  dat  one  day 
Mistiss  wuz  walkin  bout  de  place,  un  she  see  Betsy 
stuffin  hersef  un  her  pockets  wid  de  churries,  she 
done  ordered  should' n  be  totched,  case  she  want 
um  fur  some  tickler  puppus.  Betsy  try  to  git  way, 
but  Miss  stop  her  un  ax  her  what  she  doin. 

"  'Noth'n  tall,  Miss;  jes zaminin dese  churries,  to 
see  ef  dey  ripe  nuff  to  teck  to  de  house.' 

"Miss  say,  'Ah!  Betsy,  I  saw  you,  un  I  hoped, 
now  you  say  you  is  a  Chrischum,  un  had  got  rid  of 
de  ole  Adam,  dat  you  would'n  do  sich  things.' 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  45 

"'Law!  Miss,  I  is  got  rid  uv  de  ole  Adam,  but 
pears  like  Miss  Eve,  she  still  stick  to  me.  She  tuck 
de  apple,  un  I  tuck  de  churries.  Fo  I  got  ligion,  I 
use  to  steal  de  churries  un  swaller  de  seed,  so  no- 
bordy  could' n  know  noth'n  bout  it:  now  I  eats  de 
churries  un  spits  out  de  seed,  so  evybordy  can  see 
dar  dey  is;  cose  dat  ay  no  harm,  caze  tay  'ceivin 
nobordy.'  She  wuz  de  wuss  un  de  mos  ornrelia- 
bleis  omun  on  de  plantashun." 


CHAPTER  V 

"(~\LE  Mars  mus  a  gin  de  doctor  a  sight   er 
^•^     money,  to  ten  un  took  cyur   uv    all    de 
peoples  on  dat  place,  Grandaddy?" 

"  He  nuver  done  no  sich  a  thing,  caze  folks  wor 
onhealthy  den  is  dey  is  now.  Nobordy  nuver  hyur 
tell  uv  dem  outlandish  zeases,  de  men-in-de-gi-tis 
un  de  pen-in-de-ci-tis  what  flyin  bout  in  de  ar  evy- 
whar,  ready  to  'tack  you  unbeknownst,  un  when 
you  leas  ways  spicion  it.  Den  nobordy  nuver  had 
noth'n,  scus'n  de  chillum  wuz  sometimes  flicted 
wid  de  hoopin  cough,  or  mebbe  a  little  disorderly 
stummuck,  but  all  dey  had  to  do,  wuz  jes  to  spurge 
urn  wid  catnup  tea  un  raw  inguns,  un  dat  soon  cure 
um.  Wunst  in  a  while  de  ole  folks  plain  uv  de 
rheumatiz  in  de  jints,  but  soons  uver  dey  carry  a 
rabbit  foot  in  dey  right-han  pockit,  un  a  frorg- 
tongue  in  dey  lef-han  shoe,  it  knock  de  pain  clean 
outen  um.  When  you  live  on  ole  Virginny  meat 
un  Jeems  River  cabbage  un  inguns,  twor  no  casion 
to  be  sick,  un  you  warnt  nuther." 

"  Well,  Grandaddy,  we  know  a  powerful  heap  a 
things  dat  you  all  ay  nuver  hyur  tell  on." 

49 


50  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"Sichiswhat?" 

"  We  knows  when  tis  gwyne  to  rain,  un  snow,  un 
be  cole,  un  evything  like  dat." 

"  Huccum  you  know  we  did'n  know  dat?  Wuz 
you  dar?  I  hyur  a  heap  er  talk  bout  dat  thing  in 
Washinton — I  blieve  dey  calls  it  de  'Weather  Bu 
reau,  '  I  ay  sho,  but  tis  some  kind  a  f  unit ure — it  mout 
be  a  wash  stan.  Dey  say  it  kin  tell  you  zackly  bout 
de  weather.  I  ay  blieve  no  sich  tales  is  dem.  De 
Yankees  is  mighty  smart,  un  I  hyur  is  how  dey  use 
to  meek  sich  wooden  hams,  dat  de  horg  hesef  did'n 
know  de  diffunce,  but  when  it  come  to  meckin  a 
piece  a funiture  what  kin  tell  all  bout  de  weather,  I's 
kinder  dubisome.  But  sposin  is  how  it  mout  be  so, 
tay  noth'n  to  brag  on.  'Tis  mo  like  flyin  in  de  face 
uv  Provdince,  un  dey  mout  be  like  de  gempmum  in 
de  Bible  what  buil'  de  tower  so  high,  a  visimatashun 
wuz  sarnt  on  um,  dat  meek  sich  a  cormflusticashun, 
dey  could' n  no  ways  ornderstan  one  a  nuther. 
Tay  right  to  try  to  know  too  much  un  to  go  too 
high;  de  high-flyin  kite  is  sho  to  git  tangled  up,  un 
come  down  a  bust  id.  Evy  ole  puss'n  on  de  plan- 
tashun,  what  had  rale  hard  horse  sense,  knowed 
how  to  zarn  de  signs  uv  de  weather,  doubt  con- 
jurin  a  piece  a  funiture  fur  to  tell  im." 

"  Grandaddy,  how  did  dey  know?" 

"  Whensomever  dar  bin  a  mighty  long  dry  spell, 
un  you  see  de  grasshopper  mos  standin  on  he  hade, 
un  wuckin  he  laigs  backuds  un  f orruds,  backuds  un 
forruds,  he  drawin  water  from  de  yuth  fur  de 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  51 

clouds,  un  you  kin  pend  pon  it,  de  rain  ay  so  fur  off, 
un  you  gwy  git  some  fo  long.  Den  agin,  ef  it  bin 
rainin  priddy  stiddy,  un  pears  like  tay  nuver  gwy 
hole  up,  ef  you  watch  de  moon  un  she  swing  roun 
todes  de  norf  wid  bofe  horns  up,  is  she  set,  doe  be 
orneasy  in  you  min  bout  de  wet,  caze  de  horns  is 
holdin  up  de  rain,  un  it  bleeged  to  be  fyar  un  dry." 
"  Did  you  know  bout  de  snow  un  de  win  too?" 
"Dat  war  noth'n  to  know,  caze  evybordy  big 
un  little,  what  had  f ros-bited  toes,  know  when  dey 
itch  un  bun,  dat  snow  wuz  in  de  ar,  un  gwy  soon 
tell  um  howdy.  Is  to  de  win,  tis  powerful  on- 
sartin  un  mysterisome,  jes  like  de  Bible  say.  It 
blow  whar  it  will,  fus  in  de  norf  un  den  in  de  souf . 
Sometimes  it  whisper  un  den  agin  it  howl,  but  it 
doe  tell  nobordy  whar  it  come  frum,  nor  whar  it 
gwine.  Eben  dat  Bureau  doe  tend  to  diet  whur 
or  no  de  winter  gwy  be  long  un  cole.  We  all 
knowed  dat  dout  axin  no  queschums.  In  de  fall 
uv  de  yur  is  you  walk  under  de  trees  un  mongst  de 
bushes,  un  you  teck  notis  dat  dey  full  uv  acuns,  un 
nuts,  un  berries,  un  when  you  zamin  de  wile  var 
mints  un  de  fur  stan  close  un  thick  on 
dey  backs,  you  know  de  good  Lord  done  'vide 
bountiful  fur  all  He  dum  critters,  un  less'n  you 
mighty  no-count  yosef ,  you  doe  stop  to  argify,  but 
you  go  home  un  wuck  on  de  wood  pile,  un  chink 
up  de  holes  in  de  cabin,  caze  fur  sho  de  winter  is 
gwine  to  be  a  frizler,  sames  you  say  de  summer  is 
a  sizler  when  de  sun  shine  brilin  hot." 


52  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"Well!  Grandaddy,  how  does  you  know  when 
to  spec  a  mil'  winter? " 

"  Little  Ginny,  whar  is  yo  sense  un  yo  school 
larnin  nohow?  Ef  dem  things  is  when  dey  be, 
cose  dey  aint  when  dey  doe  be." 

"Grandaddy,  did  you  larn  all  dat  sense  frum  de 
white  folks,  or  did  it  jes  nachully  grow  in  yo  hade 
sames  de  hyar  grow  on  it? " 

"Honey,  I  ay  so  powerful  smart, yit  un  still,  I  ay 
no  common  nigger  nuther.  Twuz  dis  a  way:  I 
come  frum  a  mighty  good,  ornis,  dustrous  fambly, 
un  when  I  wuz  born  Mammy  sot  a  heap  a  sto  by 
me,  un  say  she  gwy  meek  sup'n  extry  outen  me, 
ef  feed'n  un  whup'n  would  do  it,  caze  you  mus'n 
spyar  de  chile  nohow.  Dey  say  ole  Marster  had 
mo  un  knowed  mo  un  mos  inybordy  in  de  country. 
Wharsomever  he  walk,  arter  he  git  out  a  sight, 
Mammy  meek  me  walk  plum  in  he  tracks,  ontwell 
I  lead  a  mo  drap;  den  evy  day  she  pay  de  butler 
up  at  de  house,  to  fetch  her  all  de  scraps  what 
Marster  lef  on  he  plate,  un  she  feed  me  on  dem  to 
de  scusion  uv  evything  else. 

"De  cullured  folks  say  dat  huccum  I  so  smart, 
dat  ef  n  dey  chillun  done  had  de  vantigis  uv 
Marster's  leavins,  dey  be  jes  is  good  is  me.  Dat 
mout  be  de  trufe,  caze  sometimes,  when  my  foot 
slip  in  dewide  crookid  ways,  I  remember  dem  tracks 
I  use  to  tread  in,  un  de  eatins  frum  Marster's  plate, 
un  de  good  tase  dey  always  lef  in  my  mouf ,  pear 
to  come  back  to  my  stummick  un  fly  to  my  back- 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  53 

bone,  whar  it  settle  un  gin  me  strank  to  riz  up  un 
walk  in  de  paf  uv  peace  un  plenty.  It  meek  um 
all  mighty  envus  un  jeolosum,  when  dey  see  how 
proscus  I  is,  un  soon's  uver  dey  git  mad,  dey  call 
me  Marster's  black  slop  buckit!  But  dat  buckit 
nuver  leak  none,  un  it  hilt  mo  un  dey  uver  got. 
"Ef  de  darkies  would  study  de  book  a  natur, 
which  am  de  Lord's  book,  stider  de  school  book, 
which  am  de  Yankees'  book,  dey  would  have  sense 
in  dey  hans  well  is  in  dey  hade,  whar  it  doe  seem 
to  do  um  no  good.  De  ole  hyar  is  a  ve'y  spectable 
critter,  long  is  he  stick  to  de  groun  un  de  brier 
patch,  but  soon's  uver  he  forgit  hissef  un  try  to  fly, 
he  come  down  jes  like  de  kite  I  tell  you  bout,  un 
even  de  buzzards  laugh  at  im.  Soons  uver  de  sap 
riz  in  de  trees,  Saturn  gin  to  rise  in  de  darky,  un 
sho  fofe  hesef  in  de  varisome  wucks  uv  ornrichus- 
niss.  Den  de  spring  chickens  stan  mighty  little 
chance,  less'n  de  owner  sleep  wid  one  eye  open. 
De  hens  git  so  smart  dey  stop  cacklin  when  dey 
lay,  un  soons  dey  lef  de  nes  de  rooster  come 
struttin  roun  to  watch  de  aigs.  De  little  chickens 
scratch  un  pick  'bout,  un  ay  skyured  a  noth'n, 
nor  nobordy,  but  let  um  git  fryin  size,  un  ef  dey 
see  a  cullured  man  come  long,  dey  scatter  in  de 
bushes  same's  a  hawk  arter  um.  Pears  like  sup'n 
tell  um  ef  dey  doe  look  out,  de  time  is  short  twix 
dem  un  de  pot.  Coze  de  sef-spectin  servants  wus 
bove  such  tricks,  but  same's  de  bunt  chile  fred  a 
fire,  de  chicken  wid  all  de  tail  feathers  jucked 


54  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

outen  im,  un  jes  scape  bein  kotched,  ay  gwy  teck 
no  chances  wid  no  puss'n  uv  culler.  He  tell  all 
tothers,  un  dey  gree  mongst  deysef  bout  dat.  But 
is  de  long  summer  days  go  by,  un  cool  September 
come  long,  wid  de  trees  all  red  un  yarller,  de  hym- 
sects  gin  to  sing  dey  own  fumeral  hymns.  Dey 
mighty  chirpy  bout  de  bizniss  cornsiderin,  but  I 
spec  dey  know  dat  arter  dey  friz  to  death  un  stay 
under  de  snow  all  de  winter,  dat  soon's  ever  de 
spring  cum,  dey  all  gwy  buss  out  de  shell,  un  tun 
to  dem  flower-suckin  budderflies  un  hummin  birds. 
Pears  like  den  de  darkey  heart  git  sorf  un  solum- 
choly,  un  he  quit  he  evul  ways  un  tun  to  de  good 
things  he  knows  is  comin  by'm  by.  De  summer 
time  sarve  im  mighty  curisome;  seem  like  it  tun 
he  inards  outards,  un  you  see  im  in  all  he  natchul 
cussidniss;  but  I  done  notis,  de  longer  dey  live 
wid  good  white  folks,  de  less  de  ole  Afriky  crap 
out." 

"  What  is  dem  good  things  dey  speck  is  eomin?" 
"Well,  mebbe  I  kin  tell  some  on  um.  Dar  is 
sweet  tater  time,  un  dat  is  a  fine  prime  time;  den 
de  corn-shuckin  time,  dat  meek  de  nigger  heart 
happy  is  a  cricket;  un  de  horg-killin  time,  which 
am  a  good  greasy  time  fur  sho;  den  de  coon  un  de 
possum  hunts,  dat  give  you  so  much  fun  in  one 
night  you  wish  you  could  live  forivur,  un  nuver 
see  noth'n  cep  possums  un  coons.  Den  come 
Christmas  time,  de  las'  un  de  bes'  uv  all,  dat  cap 
de  climber's  ax.  Arter  dat  tay  no  mo  to  say." 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  55 

"  Grandaddy,  when  is  you  uver  gwy  tell  me 
bout  all  dem  gungeous  times  ?' ' 

"  I  dunno,  Honey;  I  mo'n  ap  to  splain  dem  mar- 
ters  to  you  some  dese  long  winter  nights  ef  I  live, 
un  less'n  yo  eyes  pop  outen  yo  hade.  You  look 
jes  like  a  ole  hyar,  de  dorgs  done  skyured  up." 

"Well!  you  norates  de  beatinis  things  uver  I 
hear  tell  on." 

"  Un  den  I  ay  tell  haf .  Us  boys  use  to  have  de 
bess  fun,  un  de  mos  uv  it,  a  huntin  de  ole  hyars, 
when  de  grown  wuz  kivered  wid  snow.  Sometimes 
we  kotch  mo'n  we  able  to  brung  home.  Un  den 
sich  suppers!  It  meek  my  mouf  water  is  I  talk 
bout  um.  Tis  ornpossible  to  git  urn  like  dat  now, 
caze  de  cookin  stove  un  de  white  cooks  done  mint 
de  tase  uv  evything.  A  coon  foot  briled  in  a  open 
fire,  on  red  hot  coals,  is  bettern  inything  dem 
Monicos  up  in  New  York  kin  do.  Ef  dey  could 
a  tase  we-all's  eatins,  dey  would  a  quit  de  bizniss, 
ontwell  dey  come  down  here,  un  larnt  what  wuz 
what.  Dey  way  my  Ginny  barbecue  ole  hyar, 
would  meek  a  dade  man,  ef  he  could  tase  it,  riz 
up  out'n  he  grave  un  go  hyar  huntin. 

"  Dat  mine  me  uv  de  tale  Dick  tole  long  time  ago, 
bout  him  un  Jim.  He  say,  '  Me'n  Jim  wuz  comin 
long  frum  de  wood  pile  one  evenin  un  I  seed  sup'n 
white  runnin  un  a  jumpin  in  de  bresh.  I  say, 
"Hi!  What  dat?"  I  wuz  jes  all  in  a  trimble, 
case  I  meek  sho  twuz  a  hant,  so  I  tun  roun  un  run 
tother  way.  Jim  say,  "You  fool  boy,  tay  noth'n 


56  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

cep'n  a  ole  hyar  done  tun  white,  cazedarbinso  much 
snow  dis  winter.  Evy  year  when  dar's  a  heaper 
snow,  one  ole  hyar  tun  white,  un  inybordy  kotch 
dat  hyar  is  a  happy  nigger,  caze  he  doe  have  to  do 
noth'n  a  whole  yur.  White  hyar  does  always 
put  cunjur  on  wuck."  Den  me'n  de  dorgs  un  Jim 
lit  out  fur  dat  critter.  Pears  like  he  run  under 
evy  bresh  un  evy  rock  on  de  plantashun.  Jim  he 
loss  he  bref  un  lay  down,  but  me'n  tother  dorgs 
keeps  on,  un  when  dat  hyar  wuz  plum  woed  out,  we 
grab  im.  I  kinder  studies  like  un  I  say,  "  I  gwy 
put  some  bread  on  de  waters  what  I  knows  will 
come  back.  I  gwy  gin  ole  Miss  dis  hyar — all 
scus'n  de  lef  hine  foot — ay  nobordy  git  dat  caze 
ef  you  put  a  dade  horse  hyar  roun  it  un  let  it  res 
on  yo  bress  bone,  it  meek  de  white  folks  sleep  so 
soun,  de  chickens  jes  natchully  drap  off  de  roose 
hide  bag." 

"  I  knowed  a  nigger  wunst — Marse  Lawyer  Jones' 
black  Sam — he  say  he  gwy  see  ef  snow  wo  meek 
him  white.  He  walk  in  it,  he  sot  in  it,  un  he  eat 
it,  ontwell  he  wuz  tuck  wid  sich  a  misery  he  had 
to  go  to  bade.  De  doctor  say  he  had  de  new 
moany  in  de  side.  He  call  it  dat  caze  Sam  moan 
so  bad.  He  say  Sam  gwy  die,  but  when  he  lef  im, 
he  mammy  gin  im  some  inguns  un  tup'ntime,  un 
put  a  lizard  skin  on  he  foot,  un  Sam  livin  now; 
but  he  say  he  ay  nuver  gwy  try  to  tun  white  no  mo." 


teiVT 


CHAPTER  VI 

RAND  ADD  Y,  what  wuz  dat  sweet  tater 
time  you  say  you  gwy  tell  me  bout." 

"  Honey,  when  you  ax  me  dat  it  sho  meek  me 
feel  bad  un  pitiful  like,  case  den  I  rickerlick  you 
ay  noth'n  but  a  po  little  free  nigger,  dat  nuver  had 
de  pledgers,  we  all  wuz  use  to,  when  we  wuz 
chillun." 

"  I  ay  use  to  nobordy  callin  a  me  names  nuther. 
You  mout  be  a  free  nigger,  but  I  ay  no  sich  a  thing. 
I's  Miss  Mary's  maid,  dat  un  noth'n  else,  un  I  gwy 
straight  to  de  house  fur  to  tell  her  how  you  buse 
me." 

"  Honey,  I  nuver  mean  no  harm.  I  jes  feel  sorry 
fur  you,  un  I  did'n  went  to  hut  yo  feelins.  You 
bleeged  to  be  a  free  nigger  un  you  disable  to  hope 
it,  caze  we  all  wuz  sot  so,  but  you  kin  due  yosef 
so,  nobordy  nuver  fine  'tout.  Is  I  wuz  a  savin, 
Marse  put  mo  groun  in  sweet  taters  den  inybordy 
no  whar  roun,  caze  de  servans  eat  um  same's  horgs 
eat  corn,  un  de  cullured  chillun  bleeged  to  have  um, 

59 


60  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

on  count  a  keepin  off  de  malarius.  Arter  de  white 
folks  wuz  sply  wid  de  biggis  un  de  bes',  un  dey  did'n 
snez  at  um  nuther,  de  cullured  chillun  wuz  tun 
loose  in  de  fiel'  to  hep  deysef .  Early  in  de  mornin 
dey  start  wid  baskits  un  buckits  un  bags  fur  to 
pick  up  taters.  Some  un  um  wuz  so  little,  dey 
could'n  tote  mo'n  dey  apon  could  hole,  but  dey 
all  come,  frum  de  littlis  to  de  biggis.  Frum  de 
rackit  dem  chillun  meek,  laughin  un  hollerin  un 
chatterin,  inybordy  comin  long  de  road  mout  a 
thought  swarms  uv  blackbirds  done  lit  in  dat  fiel, 
fur  to  pick  up  dey  own  corn.  On  sich  casions  Miss 
mos  inginully  drive  dat  a  way,  wid  de  ladies  frum 
de  house,  jes  to  see  dem  little  happy  black  faces. 
Soon's  she  git  in  sight,  dey  drap  taters  un  evy- 
thing  un  run  to  tell  her  howdy.  She  always  had 
candy  un  sup'n  good  fur  um  is  dey  come  up.  You 
always  know  de  way  she  bin  long,  by  de  good  deeds 
she  lef  behime.  Punkins  am  mighty  good  squshy 
things,  un  I  ay  findin  no  fault  wid  um,  but  dey  ay 
no  ways  got  de  stayin  power,  like  de  sweet  tater. 
Dey  fills  up  mo  chinks  un  crivicis  in  de  stummuck, 
un  is  de  mos  sef-satisfyinis  sweet  thing  dat  grow. 
All  de  craps  on  de  plantashun  put  together  doe 
sply  de  same  mount  uv  grejuncies  is  de  sweet 
tater  do.  You  kin  roas  un  bake  un  fry  un  bile  um, 
un  den  tun  um  into  pudd'ns  un  pies  un  custuds,  un 
ef  you  choose,  you  kin  eat  um  raw  same's  apples. 
"De  rale  thing  doe  grow  nowhar  cep'n  in  ole 
Virginny.  Dem  roots  dey  call  yams  ay  no  better 'n 


'  Soon's  she  git   in  sight,  dey  drap  taters  un  evything  un  run  to  tell   her  howdy' 


Ibl  ol 


X 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  61 

biled  orrish  taters,  wid  sweeten  water  pode  over 
um. 

"Corn  shuckin  wuz  mornstrous  fun  I  tell  you. 
A  week  or  mo  f  o  de  time,  de  news  gin  to  spread  roun, 
when  it  gwy  be.  Twar  no  sich  bothersome  things 
in  dem  days  is  de  tellin-foam;  un  twar  no  use  fur 
um,  caze  de  tellin  nigger  beat  de  tellin-foam  all 
holler.  Evy  night  reglar,  twuz  de  darkies'  way  to 
walk  bout  all  over  creashum.  Dey  hyur  evything 
un  dey  tell  evything  dey  hyur,  un  a  heap  deydid'n. 
When  de  night  come  fur  de  shuckin,  soonsever  it 
git  dark,  de  neighbors  gin  to  drap  in,  un  fus  thing 
you  know,  look  like  dey  done  riz  up  out  de  groun 
un  kiver  de  whole  face  uv  de  yuth,  wuss'n  locusis. 
Sometimes,  pear  like  dar  wuz  mo  niggers  den  corn, 
but  we  meek  um  welcom,  ef  dey  did  come  mo  fur 
what  dey  gwy  git,  den  fur  what  dey  gwy  do.  We 
all  had  de  name  uv  givin  de  tarin-downis  suppers 
in  de  whole  country.  Marse  nuver  low  nobordy 
git  hade  uv  him  in  noth'n.  Is  dey  git  het  up  to  de 
wuck  un  pitch  dey  voice  in  dat  rousin  ole  song : 

"  Come  to  shuck  dat  corn  to-night; 
Come  to  shuck  wid  all  yo  might; 
Come  fur  to  shuck  all  in  sight; 
Come  to  shuck  dat  corn  to-night. 

"  Come  to  shuck  dat  golden  grain; 
Whar  dar's  nuff  dar  ay  no  pain; 
Ef  you  shuck  tis  all  yo  gain — 
Come  to  shuck  dat  golden  grain ; 


62  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

pears  like  it  shake  de  vey  tops  uv  de  trees,  un  set 
de  leaves  on  de  groun  to  whirlin  un  dancin  un  jinin 
in  de  frolic.  Far  out  in  de  woods  un  on  de  hills, 
you  hear  dat  chune  a  ringin,  ontwell  it  wake  up  de 
mockin  birds  un  dey  answer  back  un  fill  out  de 
chorus.  Dey  always  cum  down  frum  de  house 
fur  to  hear  us,  un  Marse  say  is  how  he  done  bin  all 
over  de  worl,  un  hear  de  finis  music  what  is,  from 
de  frorg-porn  up,  I  think  he  say,  to  de  bes'  High- 
stallion  hopper  (Italian  opera),  but  dis  beat  all. 
He  say  it  meek  he  blood  run  hot  un  den  cole,  un 
den  pear  to  stop  runnin  altoguther.  Music  am  a 
mighty  sarchin  sup'n.  It  always  put  me  in  a  trim- 
ble,  whensomuver  I  hear  Dixie  un  sunshiny  things 
like  dat;  but  cose  it  doe  play  de  same  tricks  wid 
my  blood,  it  do  wid  Marster's,  caze  his'n  de  true 
blue. 

"  Joe  Clay  were  a  powerful  singer,  un  dey  name 
im  de  cock  uv  de  corn  pile,  caze  he  always  stan  on 
top'n  it,  un  crow  de  loudis.  One  night  he  sing  so 
loud  tryin  to  show  off  fo  de  white  folks,  he  loss  he 
voice,  un  twuz  mo'n  a  mont  fo  he  come  up  wid  it 
aginj^he  were  de  bal-headis  nigger  I  uver  come 
crost.  Dey  all  say,  he  voice  were  so  powerful,  dat 
is  he  sing  de  strank  went  up  fru  de  top'n  he  hade,  un 
kill  de  roots  uv  de  hyar,  ontwell  it  all  drap  out  un 
lef  im  on  top,  slick  is  a  ingun.  Hyar  un  grass  is 
much  de  same;  too  much  strank  kill  de  roots  uv 
bofe.  But  sho's  you  born,  pride  had  a  heap  to  do 
wid  dat  bizniss.  You  kin  twis  un  tun  it  much  is 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  63 

you  choose,  but  de  Bible  always  come  true,  un  de 
preacher  say,  'Pride  does  go  befo  de  fall.'  De 
pride  uv  de  singin  come  fus,  de  fallin  uv  de  hyar 
arterwards.  Brer  Isuck  say  is  how  he  knowed  a 
omun  wunst,  dat  grease  her  hyar  wid  ox-marrer,  un 
it  all  drap  out  sames  Joe  Clay's,  caze  cose  evy  time 
de  ox  shed  she  shed  too.  But  you  see  de  man  un 
de  omun  is  diffunt:  what  'feet  one  is  mo'n  ap  to 
disinfect  tother." 

"Grandaddy,  speakin  bout  de  possum  hunts, 
I  always  git  mixed  up  wid  de  coon  un  de  possum, 
un  dunno  tother  from  which." 

"  Well,  you  sho  in  a  bad  fix,  ef  you  git  mix  up 
wid  a  coon  un  a  possum.  Dar  is  jes  is  much  dif- 
funce  twix  dem,  is  dar  is  twix  de  foot  un  de  han, 
But  if  you  larn  dis,  tis  ornpossible  to  meek  a  mis 
take: 

"  'Raccoon  tail  am  ring  a  roun; 

Possum  tail  am  byar; 
Rabbit  got  no  tail  at  all ; 
But  stumpy  grow  de  hyar.'  " 

"  Grandaddy,  you  does  know  sich  priddy  potry 
you  mus  a  larnt  de  tase  frum  de  flowers  you  wuck 
in." 

"Nor,  chile,  I  larnt  a  heap  frum  de  flowers, 
but  twarnt  bout  de  tails  uv  sich  varmints  is  dem. 
Doe  I  ay  no  ways  belittle  dem  critters,  caze  dey 
all  put  hyur  fur  some  good  puppose,  sames  me. 
Day  in  un  day  out,  is  I  wuck  mongst  de  flowers, 
dey  tell  me  a  heap  a  things.  I  plants  dem  in  de 


64  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

groun,  un  pears  like  dey  sows  dey  seed  in  me.  I 
says  to  myself,  'Flowers  is  mighty  pruddy  un  nice, 
but  what  good  is  dey  inyhow  ? '  Den  when  Miss 
come  long,  un  I  see  de  smile  on  her  face,  is  she  cut 
urn  fur  de  sick,  un  fur  her  neighbors  what  ay  got 
none,  I  know  den  dey  wuth  all  de  trouble  I  tecks 
wid  urn.  When  I  comes  to  de  weeds,  un  jes  chop 
um  off  to  de  groun,  in  two  or  three  days  when  I 
see  um  agin  dey  done  come  up  thicker  un  wussur 
den  uver,  den  I  says,  'Dat  jes  like  sin — twoe  do  to 
slight  it;  you  got  to  git  'tout  by  de  roots,  less'n 
you  want  it  to  choke  out  de  good,  sames  de  weeds 
does  de  flowers.' 

"  Den  I  larnt  bout  Miss  Clover  unMr.  Bee.  Folks 
try  to  have  clover  whar  dar  war  no  bees — dey  sow 
it  un  it  come  up  in  little  patches  un  die ;  dey  keep 
tryin,  but  twould'n  do  noth'n  twell  one  day  Miss 
Clover  see  Mr.  Bee  come  long.  She  nod  to  him,  un 
she  look  so  fresh  un  pruddy,  seem  like  Mr.  Bee 
could'n  git  away.  He  hover  roun  un  presenty  he 
fly  to  her  un  kiss  er  twell  she  hang  her  little  hade. 
Den  he  splain  dat  jes  his  way;  dat  all  de  flowers  is 
his  sweethearts,  un  mos  un  um  is  showy  un  fine 
un  holds  up  dey  lips  fur  kisses,  but  hers  is  de 
sweetis  uv  all.  Dis  please  Miss  Clover  so  much, 
she  load  im  up  wid  gol'  dus,  he  keep  comin  back, 
un  evy  time  he  teck  mo  gol'  dus  ontwell  he  scat 
ter  it  all  over  de  face  uv  de  yuth,  un  now  you  see 
big  clovers  un  little  clovers  evywhar." 


CHAPTER  VII 

"/^RANDADDY,  I's  powerful  proud  to  hear  yo 
^-*    circumbrashuns,  but  please,  sar,  doe  furgit 
de  possum  tale. " 

"Well,  Honey,  de  possum  hunt  stan  out  in  de 
speunce  uv  a  darky  jes  like  de  light  house  do  on  de 
river ;  tis  all  by  itsef ,  but  tis  dar  to  stay.  Soonsuver 
Jack  Pros  bite  de  simmon,  de  nigger  tooth  itch  to 
bite  de  possum;  den  when  de  cool  October  nights 
come,  de  boys  meek  a  big  fire  outer  doos,  un 
stretch  out  roun  it  wid  de  dorgs,  to  tell  yarns,  un 
to  meek  preckrashums  fur  de  hunts.  Is  de  talk  go 
on,  de  dorgs  creep  closter  un  closter,  ontwell  dey 
can't  stan  it  no  longer,  un  den  dey  jump  up  whinin 
un  barkin  un  lookin  up  in  de  trees  like  dey  spec  to 
see  a  possum  dar,  caze  dey  ornderstan  dat  talk 
sames  de  boys. 

"I  nuver  will  forgit  one  night,  us  boys  start 
off  wid  de  horns  a  blowin,  de  dorgs  a  yelpin, 
un  wid  de  lightud  knots  a  bunnin.  De  whoopin 
un  de  hollerin  mout  a  waked  de  dade,  but  we  did'n 

cyur  who  it  wake,  so  it  nuver  sturb  Marse  un 

67 


68  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

• 

Mistiss.  We  knowed  bout  a  g-r-e-a-d  big  ole 
possum  dat  live  in  de  woods  some  two  or  three 
miles  up  de  road.  Dis  wor  de  fuss  time  we  sot 
out  to  kotch  dat  possum;  but  he  had  mos  much 
sense  is  human,  un  he  so  cunnin,  time  we  lead  a 
mo  git  im,  he  gin  a  grin  un  scoot.  Jim  tell  im, 
'Nuver  min' ;  we  meek  you  grin  tother  side  yo  mouf 
yit.'  But  when  dat  possum  grin,  twor  no  tother 
side.  We  cornstunt  see  his  tracks  un  knowed 
whar  he  bin  long,  caze  de  simmons  un  de  wile 
grapes  did'n  stan  no  chance.  So  we  start  off  un 
say  we  gwy  hunt  twell  plum  day-breck,  less'n  we 
ketch  im.  Pear  like  we  have  it  to  do.  We  walk 
un  keep  a  walkin,  un  ay  see  noth'n  un  ay  hear 
noth'n.  Den  all  uv  a  sudden  ole  Sambo  gin  a 
yelp  un  a  jump,  un  we  know  fur  sartin  dat  possum 
were  meckin  fur  a  tree.  When  we  ketch  up  wid 
im,  sho  nuff  dar  he  wuz,  done  clum  way  out  on  one 
de  biggis  limbs.  De  dorgs  wuz  barkin,  un  mos 
havin  fits;  un,  you  may  pend  upon  it,  we  wor  much 
better.  Jim  wuz  mighty  good  at  dat  bizniss ;  so 
he  low  he'd  git  im.  Up  he  went  wid  de  hatchit, 
un  cut  dat  limb  fur  all  he  wuth.  We  all  wuz  so 
busy  watchin  de  possum  we  wor  studyin  bout  Jim; 
fuss  thing  we  know,  down  come  de  limb  wid  de  pos 
sum  un  Jim  all  mix  up  toguther.  Is  dey  strike  de 
yuth,  pears  like  dey  bus  it  open.  We  wuz  dat 
skyured  we  could'n  move,  but  de  dorgs  had  mo 
sense,  un  dey  nuver  low  dat  possum  to  git  fur  fo 
dey  kotch  im.  Arter  we  see  Jim  jes  bruck  he  laig 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  69 

un  wor  kilt,  we  try  not  to  let  im  see  us,  but  we 
could  'n  hope  it — we  far  roll  on  de  groun  un  laf, 
to  think  dat  fool  nigger  did'n  have  no  mo  sense 
den  to  cut  hesef  off  wid  de  limb !  Eben  de  possum 
grin  evy  time  he  look  roun  at  Jim.  He  groan  un 
tell  us  to  teck  dat  grinnin  devul  out'n  he  sight. 
Dey  say  a  ole  fool  is  de  wuss  in  de  worl,  but  wait 
twell  you  come  crosst  a  possum-huntin  nigger;  he 
tar  all  he  clo'es  off,  scratch  he  eyes  out,  un  mos 
breck  he  nake,  fo  he  know  it,  when  he  arter  a 
possum.  But  dat  laffin  I  tell  you  bout,  did'n  las 
long,  caze  we  had  to  git  Jim  home  un  tell  Marster, 
un  dat  wor  no  'musin  marter. 

"Arter  we  brung  im  back,  dey  put  de  privdidge 
to  splain  to  Marster  on  me,  caze  dey  low  he  mo'n 
ap  to  favor  me.  Twor  no  sich  thing — he  nuver 
meek  no  diffunce  twix  none  on  us.  Twuz  de  dade 
uv  night  is  I  knock  at  Marster' s  doo. 

"He  say,  'Who  dat?' 

"I  say,  "Tis  me,  Marster.' 

'"What  do  you  want,  Ben?' 

"Marster,  I  come  fur  to  tole  you  is  how  us  boys 
jes  teck  a  little ' 

"'Jeswhat?' 

' '  'Jes  kotch  de  finis  possum  you  uver  see  sar,de  one 
bin  stealinall  yo  simmons  un  grapes  un  things,  sar.' 

" '  You  wake  me  at  dis  time  a  night  to  tell  me 
sich  foolishniss?' 

"I  hear  im  tell  Miss  'Dat  darky  mus  a  gone 
crazy!' 


70  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"  'Nor  sar,  it  de  fattis,  grinninis  possum  I  uver 
see,  sar,  un  I  brung  im  to  you.' 

"  '  Why  did'n  you  keep  it  twell  mornin?' 

'"Well,  sar,  he,  ar-ar — he  grin  so  pruddy  un  so 
cornstunt,  sar,  I  fred  arter  I  box  im  up,  he  mout 
loss  he  sperits,  so  I  fotch  im  now.' 

"  'Ben,  what  in  de  thunder  is  de  marter  wid  you 
inyhow?' 

"  'Marster,  I  gwy  tole  de  truf  un  shame  de  devul. 
Dat  smart  frisky  Jim,  sar,  had  de  misfortinit  fur 
to  hut  he  laig,  but  Marster,  we  got  de  possum  all 
de  same,  sar,  un  de  laig  sho  gwy  men  hesef.' 

"Marster  nuver  wuz  no  cussin  man,  but  dat 
night  de  words  come  so  thick  un  fas,  dey  meek  de 
ar  so  blue,  you  could  mos  smell  de  sulphur.  But  it 
en  right  dar,  caze  he  nuver  do  noth'n  cep  git  up  un 
put  on  he  clo'es,  so's  he  mout  go  down  un  see  bout 
Jim.  He  nuver  speak  a  cross  word  to  dat  fool, 
but  he  handle  im  jes  is  easy  is  a  omun,  un  meek  im 
comfurble  is  he  could,  ginst  de  doctor  come.  I 
mos  wish  I  wuz  Jim,  to  have  Marster  roun  me 
like  dat.  He  sich  a  gempmun,  I  ruther  fur  im  to 
cuss  me,  un  not  teck  no  not  is  uv  me  a  tall. 

"Cornstunt  uv  nights,  when  I  gits  in  bade,  un  tis 
cole  miff  to  pull  up  de  blankits,  what  Miss  gim  me  fo 
she  die,  pears  like  I  kin  hyur  de  boys  a  whoopin  un 
a  hollerin,  un  de  dorgs  a  barkin  un  a  yelp  in,  twell 
dey  meek  de  woods  ring  once  mo,  wid  de  music  uv 
de  ole-time  possum  hunt.  It  all  come  back  to 
me  so  strong,  I  forgits  I  ay  young  no  mo,  un  I 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  71 

jumps  up  un  put  my  hade  out  de  winder  to  listen, 
mos  spectin  to  glimpse  de  houns,  is  dey  go  by  like 
de  win.  But  evything  is  still  is  de  grave,  scusin 
po  ole  Sambo — he  keep  up  sich  a  pitiful  howlin  un 
whinin,  like  he  tryin  to  call  back  de  ole  friens, 
what  use  to  blong  to  de  same  pack,  dat  he  always 
lead  so  spry.  But  de  dorgs  un  de  boys  is  all  gone 
too — jes  me  un  Sambo  is  all  dat's  lef  uv  what  use 
to  wuz.  Bright  days  is  I  sets  out  in  de  sunshine, 
he  creeps  up  close  to  me,  un  puts  he  hade  on  my 
knee,  un  when  he  look  at  me  wid  dem  big  solum- 
choly  eyes,  I  know  what  he  thinkin  bout,  un  I  pat 
im  on  de  hade  un  tell  im  I  members  too,  dem  good 
ole  times,  when  dar  war  nary  nuther  possum  dorg 
in  de  whole  country  could  tetch  him.  At  dat  he 
lick  my  han  un  wag  he  stump  uv  a  tail,  dat  a  coon 
done  bite  off,  un  furgits  like  me  dat  he  done  had 
he  day. 

'  'De  possum  talk  put  me  in  min'  uv  Guinea  Peter. 
He  could  beat  ay  man  ur  oman  on  de  plantashun, 
cookin  uv  a  possum.  But  he  would'n  tell  no- 
bordy  how  he  done  it.  Ef'n  you  eat  it  once,  it  so 
good,  de  ricklickshun  stay  in  yo  mouf,  un  tun  yo 
stummuck  gin  all  tuther  vittles  mos  a  munt.  But 
he  were  a  mornstrous  sef-consarned,  stingy  man, 
un  nuver  would  ax  nobordy  to  eat  wid  im,  less'n 
dey  kotch  im  on  de  sly.  He  always  keep  a  possum 
on  han,  un  whensomuver  we  ax  im  when  he  spec 
to  kill  im,  he  shake  he  hade  un  say,  'I  dunno — seem 
ornporsible  to  fatten  dis  possum.' 


72  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"I  say,  'Yas,  I  reckon  tis  ornporsible  to  fatten 
im  iny  mo,  caze  he  car-cus  wo  hole  it.' 

"One  rainy  day  he  kilt  im  clean  it,  un  when 
night  come  twuz  still  powerful  dark  un  drizzle-ty, 
un  too  bad,  he  meek  sho,  fur  inybordy  to  drap  in. 
Cordinly  he  let  down  de  winder  un  bolt  de  doo,  un 
put  de  possum  on  de  fire.  He  mouf  water  un  he 
han  trimble,  is  de  cookin  scent  uv  dat  critter  smite 
de  nose,  un  he  think  he  gwy  have  it  all  to  hesef . 
You  may  speck  de  cherry  bird  to  fly  roun  de  tree, 
dout  eatin  de  cherries,  un  de  darky  to  sot  by  a  fire 
dout  drappin  off  to  sleep;  but  you  sho  git  fooled, 
caze  it  plum  gin  natur.  Twaz  jes  so  wid  Guinea 
Peter;  is  he  watch  un  tend  to  dat  possum,  de  fus 
thing  he  know,  he  did'n  know  noth'n  caze  de  nods 
done  overtook  im,  un  when  dat  nigger  git  to  sleep, 
youmout  stan  im  on  he  hade  un  he  would 'n  know 
it .  Sam  wuz  jes  is  cunnin  is  Guinea  Peter,  un  he  spec 
sup'n  wuz  up,  so  he  walk  dat  a  way,  un  creep  up  to 
de  winder.  Sho  nuff  dar  sot  Peter  un  de  possum, 
one  in  de  chur,  un  tother  on  de  fire.  He  put  he 
han  fru  de  hole  in  de  winder,  un  arter  he  riz  it  up, 
he  let  hesef  in  easy-like.  It  tuck  mighty  little 
time  to  eat  such  a  appetitin  thing  is  dat  possum,  un 
when  twuz  all  gone  he  tuck  de  leavins  un  grease 
Guinea  Peter  mouf  all  roun,  un  he  fingers  jes  de 
same,  un  sot  de  plate  a  bones  befo  im.  Den  he 
slip  out  un  lis'n. 

"  By'm  by,  Guinea  Peter  wake  up  un  rub  he  eyes, 
he  look  roun  but  doe  see  de  possum,  den  he  smack 


"  '  Sho  nuff  dar  sot  Peter  un  de  possum,  one  in  de  chur,  un  tother  on  de  fire' 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  73 

he  lips  un  tase  he  fingers,  un  say,  'Dis  sho  am 
possum  grease  un  dar  de  bones,  but  ef  I  eat  dat 
possum,  it  set  lighter  on  my  stummuck,  un  gin  less 
satyf action,  un  ay  possum  I  uver  eat.' ' 

"  I  clar  fo  grashus,  Grandaddy,  I  doe  blieve  de 
Presdunt  uv  dese  Benighted  States  knows  is 
many  funny  things  is  you  does. " 

"He  know  nuff  to  git  back  in  he  place  twicest; 
tay  many  on  urn  smart  nuff  to  git  dar  wunst,  scusin 
Mr.  Cleveum  unMarseGinul  Washinton;  he  be  dar 
now  cep'n  he  dade.  He  were  a  mighty  smart  man, 
but  I  ay  so  sho  bout  de  good,  caze  hemusabin  pow 
erful  hard  to  git  long  wid.  Evybordy  know  de  ole 
say  in  dat  wid  him,  '  'Twas  a  fuss  in  peace,  a  fuss  in 
war,  un  a  fuss  wid  de  hearts  uv  de  country  folks.' 
Now,  nobordy  nuver  would  a  put  up  wid  all  dat 
fussin,  cep'n  he  wuz  de  son  uv  ole  Virginny,  un  de 
Father  uv  de  Country.  I  hyur  heap  er  talk  bout 
him  un  dat  cherry  tree.  I  boun  twar  noth'n  but 
a  sour  saplin  uv  a  churry,  dat  war  no  count  nohow, 
un  he  know  he  pa  did'n  cyur  noth'n  bout  it — one 
dem  Muleriller  kind,  dat  so  sour  it  meek  you  cross 
eyed,  un  pucker  yo  mouf  up,  ontwell  you  tongue- 
tied.  I  ay  sput'n  bout  he  could'n  tell  a  lie,  yit  un 
still,  ef'n  he  had  all  dat  sense,  cose  he  mout  a  tole 
lies,  sames  tother  folks,  un  nuver  got  kotched.  " 

"  Grandaddy,  what  bout  dat  horg-killin  time  you 
all  think  so  much  uv?" 

"Dat  ay  so  much  to  talk  bout,  chile;  tis  mo 
what  you  call  a  big  eatin  time.  But  de  ole  Vir- 


74  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

ginny  horg  speak  fur  hesef  when  he  livin,  un  arter 
he  dade,  evybordy  speak  fur  im.  You  doe  git 
dat  meat  nowhar  else,  caze  it  teck  de  ole  Virginny 
breed,  un  de  ole  Virginny  acuns  un  corn,  un  de 
ole  Virginny  mud  fur  im  to  waller  in,  un  den  de 
ole  Virginny  cook  to  finish  im  up  to  make  dat 
ole  Virginny  'none  sich.'  Ornjurin  de  killin,  de 
scaldin  un  de  skinnin,  un  all  dem  greasy  preck- 
rashums,  soon's  uver  de  darky  tetch  de  bade 
uv  nights,  he  gin  to  laugh  in  he  sleep,  is  he  dream 
bout  de  tender,  juicy  inards  uv  dat  critter.  De 
horg  am  de  poo'  man's  bes  fren,  not  is  I  much 
quaintidwid  poo' folks — I  see  um  sometimes  gwyne 
long  de  road ;  but  ef 'n  I  wuz  poo'  un  did'n  have  but 
a  dollar,  I  put  dat  in  a  pig,  sho.  Tis  bettern  de 
bank,  caze  dat  do  bus  up  now  un  den;  but  tis  dif- 
funt  wid  de  horg — he  always  roun  you,  un  in  dese 
ornsartin  times,  it  wuth  cornsidable  to  have  yo 
ownins  whar  you  kin  retch  out  yo  han  un  totch 
um.  Den  sposen  he  die  f  o  he  time,  tay  so  much  loss, 
caze  you  kin  bile  im  up  un  meek  sorf  soap  outen 
im.  He  de  mos  ekernomicalis,  de  mos  increas- 
inis  un  de  mos  yieldinis  critter  dat  goes.  He  stroy 
all  de  trash  un  slops  un  weeds  roun  de  house, 
dout  botherin  nobordy  to  tote  um  off;  he  al 
ways  gittin  bigger  un  fatter,  un  when  he  kilt, 
de  yieldins  is  so  numersome,  you  scarcely  got 
de  room  to  sto  um.  You  kin  eat  im  frum 
de  yurs  down  to  de  foot,  un  sprang  out  to  de 
tip  een  uv  de  tail.  It  pear  to  git  better  un  better 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  75 

is  you  come  down,  un  it  all  so  good  tay  none  to 

fling  way. 

"  'We  eat  im  hot,  we  eat  im  cole, 
We  eat  im  young,  we  eat  im  ole, 
We  eat  im  tender,  we  eat  im  tough; 
Un  yit  ay  nuver  got  a  nuff.' 

He  live  so  close  to  poo'  folks,  he  larn  heap  uv 
dey  ways.  Ef  you  gin  im  sup'n  he  grunt,  ef  you 
doe  gin  im  nuth'n  he  grunt,  un  whatsomuver  you 
do,  he  grunt  un  cormplain.  Ef'n  he  got  thanks 
inside  dey  comes  out  in  grunts. 

"Sassy  Simon,  he  were  one  uv  dem  up-un-a- 
cummin  niggers,  what  put  dey  jaw  in  evything,  un 
always  tendin  to  evybordy  business,  scus'n  dey 
own.  He  were  a  powerful  greedysome  eater,  un 
one  night  fur  supper  he  eat  sossages,  briled  spyar 
rib,  fried  liver,  un  stewed  haslit. 

' '  Way  in  de  night,  he  wake  he  wife  un  chillun  up, 
groanin  un  moanin,  un  meckin  sich  er  awful  rackit, 
dey  jump  up  un  run  to  de  bade.  He  look  like  he 
were  dyin,  ur  havin  fits,  one  tother.  Dey  shuck 
im,  but  he  nuver  wink,  jes  holler  de  louder.  Den 
he  wife  say,  bein  is  how  he  wor  use  to  water  much, 
ef  dey  fling  it  in  he  face  it  mout  wake  im,  but  it 
nuver.  Den  she  low  she  hyur  um  say,  ef  'n  you  kin 
meek  a  man  sneeze  when  he  sleep,  he  sho  to  wake 
straight  up,  un  she  gwy  try  it.  She  wuz  a  mighty 
tryin,  perseverunce  omun,  so  she  stuff  some  red 
pepper  up  Simon's  nose,  un  sho  nuff,  quick  is  uver 
he  snez,  he  mouf  un  eyes  pop  open.  She  ax  im, 


76  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

1  Simon,  what  in  de  name  a  goodniss  is  de  marter 
wid  you?  is  you  drunk,  or  crazy,  or  is  you  comin 
fru?  (She  know  he  bin  seekin).  You  done 
wake  all  dese  chillun  up,  un  skyur  um  stiff  fur 
noth'n.'  She  were  mighty  orneasy  in  her  min' 
hersef,  twell  she  see  twar  no  danger;  den  omun- 
like,  her  dander  riz,  un  she  gin  to  fuss  un  quarl. 

"  Soon's  Simon  could  git  he  bref  fur  de  red  pep 
per — he  mos  snez  he  hade  off — he  say,  Ts  had  de 
awfulis  night  myar,  un  she  rid  me  haf  to  death. 
I  thunk  all  my  toes  done  tun  to  pigs  un  de  big 
toe  wuz  de  sow,  un  she  eat  up  all  tothers.  Is  she 
bite  um  off  un  grine  un  crunch  de  bones,  I  feel  de 
pain  smack  up  to  my  back-bone.  It  wuz  de 
haslet  un  de  sossage  what  done  it.  I  always  hyar 
ef'n  you  mix  de  outards  un  de  inards  uv  de  same 
animule,  it  sho  meek  trouble  in  yo  stummuck,  caze 
dey  doe  blong  in  de  same  place,  un  cose  dey  ay 
gwy  gree.  Tis  gin  natur,  but  I  wuz  dat  horngry 
fur  dem  appetitin  things,  I  loss  cornsciousniss  uv 
de  speunce  uv  tother  folks,  un  I  pay  fur  it,  I  tell 
you.' 

"  De  Texus  wile  pony  is  a  mean  pesky  critter, 
but  you  ride  him,  ef  you  kin,  but  de  night  myar 
dat  comes  frum  too  much  pig  meat,  is  a  gray 
horse  uv  a  nuther  culur,  caze  she  ride  you  ontwell 
you  doe  know  who  you  is,  nur  whar  you  is,  whether 
you  dade  ur  live.  Howsomuver,  folks  willin  to 
ornjoe  a  heap  uv  misry  fur  de  gratimachude  uv 
dey  stummuck.  De  sayin  is,  dat  bread  is  de  staff 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  77 

uv  life;  but  gin  me  meat  evy  time.  De  staff  is  a 
good  thing  to  lean  on,  un  to  walk  wid,  but  whar 
you  gits  a  plenty  a  meat,  you  run  so  fas'  you  doe 
need  no  staff  fur  nuth'n'.  I  ay  no  ways  abraggin, 
but  we  sends  our  Virginny  cured  hams  un  Alber- 
marm  Pippins  clean  cross  de  water  to  Queen  Vic- 
torius.  She  sot  so  much  sto  by  urn,  she  eat  um 
all  hersef ,  un  say  dey  de  bes  things  she  uver  tase. 
Ef  she  smack  her  mouf  when  she  eat  um  dar,  what 
would  she  do  ef  she  could  git  um  cooked  like  Sary 
Jane  have  um!  I  reck'n  she  be  mos  ready  to  lef  de 
frone,  un  come  over  hyur  to  live  wid  us,  caze  iny- 
how,  orneasy  lays  de  hade  dat  wars  de  crown, 
scus'n  de  cropper  crown  chicken — she  always  lays 
easy. " 


CHAPTER  VIII 

"TVTUCH  is  we  done  scuss,  dese  long  winter 
nights,  you  ay  nuver  tole  me  bout  dat 
war  what  sot  you  free,  Grandaddy. " 

"  It  nuver  sceed  in  sot'n  me  free  caze  I  would'n 
be  sot.  You  kin  lead  a  horse  to  water  much  is 
you  choose,  but  you  cyar  meek  im  drink.  Free- 
dum  ay  noth'n  but  comin  un  goin  when  you 
please,  un  dat  pruddy  much  all  de  niggers  do — 
come  un  go.  I  ay  cyur  to  think  bout  de  war,  les 
mo  talk  bout  it. 

"  I  aygwy  stir  up  no  strifewidMr.  Roosumfeltum 
un  dem  folks  in  Washinton,  caze  ef  dey  spishun 
what  I  think  bout  dat  war,  it  sho  meek  trouble,  un 
dey  mout  sen  down  hyur  un  put  me  in  de  pen- 
tentry.  Inyhow,  'leas  bruck  soonis  mendid,'  un 
tay  no  use  butt'n  yosef  up  gin  dese  Benighted 
States  nohow." 

"Grandaddy,  you  ay  bleeged  to  tell  noth'n  to 
kick  up  a  row,  is  you?  I  got  to  hyur  bout  dat 
war,  un  ay  nobordy  gwy  tell  it  straight  un  sensible 
is  you,  caze  what  I  gits  frum  you,  sho  is  right. " 

81 


82  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"Well,  Honey,  is  you  so  sistin,  I  mout  splain 
bout  what  happen  to  me  ornjorin  dem  parlous 
times.  'Twaz  one  day  way  back  yonder — pears 
like  it  bin  mos  a  hundud  yurs — Miss  wuz  givin 
me  some  structions  bout  de  place,  un'  all  uv 
a  sudden,  seem  like  one  dem  westum  cycoons 
done  struck  us.  We  look  up  de  road,  but  could'n 
see  noth'n  fur  de  dus'  un  de  rackit.  But  we  know 
soon  nuff  twuz  one  dem  Yankee  raids,  caze  we 
done  hyur  dar  wuz  a  powerful  battle  at  Sasfrus 
Bridge — prut  nigh  kilt  Joe  Ginnins.  When  dey 
bus  loose  un  tar  roun  like  dat,  you  mout  a  thought 
de  devul  wuz  arter  um,  ef'n  you  did'n  know  he 
wuz  wid  um. 

"Two  on  um  rid  up  to  de  house,  un  one  look  at 
me  un  say,  'How  you  do,  ole  Skyur  Crow?'  I  say, 
'Howdy,  Buzzard.'  Den  wid  de  'surance  uv  de  ole 
Scratch,  dey  tell  Miss  dey  want  sup'n  to  eat  un 
drink,  un  dey  want  it  quick.  She  tell  um  she  gin 
um  what  she  had  to  eat,  but  she  did'n  have  noth'n 
to  drink  cep  water.  She  done  sen  evy  drap  uv 
liquors  un  wines  to  de  horspittle  fur  de  sick  so- 
jurs.  Dat  buzzard  say,  'You  lie.'  I  nuver  hyur 
no  mo;  quick  is  it  lef  he  mouf,  I  knock  im  down 
un  jump  on  top'n  im,  wid  my  fis  flyin  roun  he  hade 
same's  lightnin.  Ay  no  tellin  what  mout  a  happen, 
ef  Miss  had'n  stop  me. 

1  Tother  one  done  had  too  much  to  drink  a' ready, 
but  time  he  spy  a  Jimmy  John,  sett' n  by  de  kitchen 
doo,  he  juck  it  up  un  drink  mos  a  pint  a  kaysene 


"'She  tuck  he  ban  un  talk  to  im,  un  pray  for  im' 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  83 

ile,  fo  he  know  twor  whisky.  Den  he  went  down 
de  hill  un  lay  down  un  die.  Soon's  Miss  know 
bout  it,  she  run  in  de  house  un  git  medcine  un 
things,  un  meek  we  all  go  down  dar  wid  her,  to 
see  what  she  could  do  to  save  he  life.  She 
wuck  on  im  two  ur  three  hours,  but  twor  no  use, 
— he  die  fo  de  doctor  could  git  dar.  She  tuck  he 
han  un  talk  to  im,  un  pray  fur  im,  un  den  he  look 
up  in  her  face  un  say,  'You's  a  angel  a  mussy; 
Gord  bless  you,  un  furgive  me.'  Mistiss  tend  to  all 
de  fumeral  rangemints  hersef ,  un  when  she  could'n 
git  no  preacher,  caze  dey  wuz  mighty  scace,  same's 
evything  else  in  dem  times  scusin  trouble,  she 
stan  by  dat  grave  un  read  de  prars,  wid  de  tears  a 
streamin  down  her  face.  Arterwards  I  ax  Miss 
huccum  she  so  stresstid  bout  dat  man.  I  say,  'Miss, 
you  know  he  come  down  here  to  do  us  all  de  harm 
he  could,  un  to  stroy  all  we-all's  propty.'  She  say, 
'Ben,  mebbe  he  wuz  a  good  man  at  home,  but  fell 
in  bad  compny  un  bad  habits,  when  he  jined  de 
army.  But  sich  a  turrible  death  is  dat,  un  so  far 
frum  his  home  un  friens,  would  tetch  a  heart  uv 
stone.'  Miss  had  me  cryin  too,  fo  she  done,  but 
dey  wuz  de  f us  un  de  onlyis  tears  I  uver  wase  on 
Yankees. 

"Miss  low  she  blieve  he  gone  to  Heben,  caze  he 
die  prayin,  but  you  can't  git  de  cullured  folks  gree 
to  dat  nohow.  Cornstunt  uv  dark  rainy  nights, 
down  dar  whar  he  buried  by  de  river,  we  all  sees  a 
light  riz  up,  like  a  great  big  kaysene  ile  lamp,  un 


84  DEM  GOOD  OLD  TIMES 

walk  up  un  down,  backuds  un  forruds,  ornressless- 
like;  den  it  pear  to  jump  in  de  river  to  put  hesef 
out ;  but  yit  un  still,  it  always  cum  out  a  bunnin 
jes  de  same,  caze  it  teck  mo  water  den  Jeems 
River  to  squench  dat  ornnatchul  fire.  Dey  low 
tay  no  use  talkin,  it  speak  fur  itsef — he  bleeged  to 
went  to  a  mighty  hot  place,  else  de  ile  could'n  a 
kotch'd  fire.  Gal,  what  you  trimblin  un  shakin 
dat  way  fur  ?  Is  you  sick  ? ' ' 

"  I  mos  dade,  I  so  skyured.  Please,  sar,  doe  tell 
me  no  mo  bout  dat  hant.  Does  you  spec  it  come 
to-night?" 

"  I  dunno,  Honey;  ay  no  count  in  on  dem  things; 
dey  is  mighty  ornsartin.  Ef  folks  know  when  to 
spec  um,  dey  mos  inginully  be  somewhar  else.  But 
dey  doe  nuver  bother  chillun  sich  is  you,  less'n  dey 
mighty  bad;  tis  arter  you  git  harden  un  sorter  sin- 
soaked,  dat  dey  mo'n  ap  to  pester  you. 

"  Honey,  you  kin  pull  yo  little  cot  in  hyur  to 
night,  un  sleep  at  de  foot  uv  Grandaddy  bade. 
Cose,  I  ay  orneasy  nur  skyured  none,  but  twoe  be 
so  lonesum  like,  un  hants  is  skittish  uv  chillun,  un 
ay  fond  uv  compny  noway;  un,  little  Ginny,  you 
mout  is  well  retch  up  to  de  cubbard,  un  feel  roun 
in  de  lef-han  cornder,  twell  you  come  to  a  cymlin 
gode;  put  yo  han  in  un  teck  out  some  dat  mixtry 
you  fine  dar,  den  skrinkle  it  roun  de  key-hole,  un 
under  de  doo  sill,  un  all  long  de  cracks  un  crivices, 
wharsomuver  you  see  um,  un  sho's  you  born,  ay  no 
hant  gwy  cross  dat  mixtry  dis  night. " 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  85 

"  Grandaddy,  what  dat  stuff  made  outen,  reason 
it  so  hard  on  hants? " 

"  Chile,  dat  secret  bin  in  our  fambly  mos  a  hun- 
dud  yurs,  un  we  ay  lowed  to  tell  nobordy. " 

"Well!  ain't  I  jes  much  de  fambly  is  you?" 

"Cose  you  is, but  you  has  to  pyar  yosef,  fo  you 
kin  ceive  de  merruts  uv  dat  secret ;  twoe  be  wuth 
noth'n  to  you  less'n  you  does.  " 

"What  dat  I  has  to  do?" 

"Two  days  you  has  to  live  on  bread  soaked  in 
mornin  jew,  wid  a  few  draps  a  honey,  den  warsh 
yosef  twice  a  day,  in  a  clar,  runnin  stream.  Arter 
dat  you  has  to  swar  un  cross  yo  heart,  you  wo  tell 
nary  soul  on  top'n  de  yuth." 

"  Is  I  so  young,  mebbe  I  wo  has  to  do  all  dat 
starvin  un  warshin,  but  I  dunno  bout  dat  swarin, 
caze  dat  is  cussin,  un  Miss  Mary  say  cussin  is  sin, 
un  I  ay  gwy  go  gin  what  she  say,  fur  no  hants 
nur  nobordy. " 

"  Den  nuff  said — you  ay  nuver  gwy  know  dat 
secret. " 

"  Grandaddy,  less'n  you  doe  tole  me,  I  sleeps  to 
mysef  dis  night,  un  wo  hope  to  keep  de  hants  off 'n 
you. " 

"  Gal,  you  is  gittin  mighty  sassy  lately,  but  I 
reckon  you  ay  spornsible.  Tis  jes  dat  freedom 
wuckin  in  you.  Twor  dat  a  way  fo  de  war;  den 
chillun  know  dey  place — dey  war  nuver  hyurd,  un 
sildum  seed.  Is  I  study  bout  it,  pears  to  me,  ef 
you  sho  do  dem  things  fur  de  puricashum  uv  yo- 


86  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

sef ,  when  you  gits  older,  un  cross  yo  heart,  tin  clar 
tin  vow  you  wo  breave  it  to  nobordy,  I  mout  tell 
you  now. " 

"  I  clar  un  vow  un  cross  my  heart,  twoe  nuthin 
meek  me  tell. " 

"  Put  dat  lef  han  on  yo  heart  un  shot  yo  eyes,  is 
I  speak  it.  Dis  de  mixtry:  fo-leaf  clovers  fur 
luck,  a  owl  hade  fur  wisdum,  de  heart  uv  a  suckin 
dove  fur  peace  un  love,  un  a  pinch  a  salt  to  zerve 
de  luck,  de  wisdom  un  de  peace  un  love  from 
corruction.  Dis  mo'n  iny  hant  kin  stan;  it  sen  um 
bout  dey  own  business." 

"  Grandaddy,  ef  dat  keep  um  off,  what  meek  you 
want  me  sleep  in  hyur  to-night  ?" 

"What  meek  you  ax  so  many  queschums ?  I 
low  I  would' n  teck  no  chances,  dat  huccum. 

"Is  I  wuz  a  tellin  you,  bout  dat  Yankee  raid — 
dey  put  me  in  min'  uv  bees  swarmin  evywhar 
you  did'n  want  un,  um  lef 'n  dey  sting  wharsom- 
uver  dey  light.  Miss  done  bin  orneasy  evy  since 
I  bounce  de  Buzzard;  she  say  trouble  gwy  come 
out'n  it.  De  nex  day,  is  I  wuz  at  wuck,  sho  nuff 
I  look  up  un  dar  stood  two  Yankees,  come  fur  to 
'res  one  poo  ole  nigger.  Sich  a  creepy  feelin  is  I 
had,  jes  like  when  you  mos  tread  on  a  big  snake,  un 
ay  got  noth'n  to  kill  im  wid.  I  feel  mighty  wabbly 
bout  de  laigs  un  kind  a  chattery  in  de  teeth,  un  all 
uv  a  sudden  sich  a  gonesomeniss  spread  over  de  pit 
uv  my  stummuck.  I  tun  sorter  sick,  but  cose  I 
nuver  low  dem  to  see  it,  un  I  would' n  let  Miss 


Early  de  nex  mornin,  Is  I  spectid,  dey  come  arter  me  again ' " 

(Seepage  Sg) 


. iiia-tom  *sn  sb  vbi.i 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  87 

know  it  fur  noth'n  in  de  worl,  caze  she  feel  bad 
miff  inyhow.  I  jes  speak  up  chirpy  de  bes  I  could 
un  tell  her  twor  noth'n,  un  how  I  be  back  fo  long, 
caze  my  color  gwy  sho  tect'  me. 

"Twor  no  use  meckin  no  fuss,  so  I  start  long  wid 
um,  un  'have  quiet  un  spectable  is  I  were  brung  up. 
By'm  by,  is  my  sperrits  riz,  I  talk  so  much  fool- 
ishniss,  dem  men  think  I  wuz  a  igiot  monkey.  I 
say,  'Marse  Sojer,  dis  a  mighty  long,  hot  road  you 
gwine.  Ef 'n  you  turn  to  de  lef ,  when  we  git  to  de 
forks,  de  road  is  cool  un  shady,  un  two  ur  three 
miles  nigher  yo  camp  den  dis.  I  born  un  raised 
right  hyur,  thank  Gord,  un  I  know  all  de  brier 
patchis  same's  de  rabbits,  un  evy  fox  hole,  un  evy 
bee  tree,  un  whar  all  de  wile  varmints  live,  good 
is  dey  does  deysef.' 

"Den  dey  look  at  one  a  nur,  un  whisper  toguther, 
un  I  hyur  um  say,  'He  sich  a  fool  he  ay  got  sense 
nuff  to  lead  a  duck  to  water!' 

1 '  I  say,  'Dis  road  suit  me  mighty  well ;  I  doe  nuver 
feel  rale  good  less'n  de  sun  so  brilin  hot,  it  kink 
de  hyar  on  top'n  my  hade.  De  hotter  de  sun,  de 
louder  me  un  de  jar  fly  sing.'  Den  I  riz  my  voice 
un  buss  out  a  singin: 

"  '  Brer  Rabbit  wink  at  de  possum, 
De  possum  grin  at  me ; 
I  shy  a  rock  at  de  critter, 
He  clum  de  hicknut  tree.' 

"  Dey  holler  un  laugh,  un  say,  'Go  a  hade,  ole  coon, 
but  ef'n  you  play  in  iny  yo  monkey  tricks  on  us,  yo 


88  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

nuver  monkey  no  mo.'  I  say,  'Yas,  sir,  you  kin 
pend  on  me  bout  dat,  caze  dis  ay  no  playin  time 
wid  me.' 

"Den  dey  say,  'Aint  he  a  daisy?'  I  dunno 
zackly  what  dat  mean;  cose  I  knows  de  little 
white  flower  wid  de  yaller  eye,  un  I  rickerlick  Mars 
use  to  call  little  Mary  his  Daisy,  caze  she  so  sweet. 
But  dat  ay  me. 

"Den  dey  tell  me  fur  to  sing  some  plantashun 
songs,  un  I  gin  um : 

" '  I  could'n  live  bedout  de  flowers 
Uv  dat  sweet  magnolia  tree ; 
I  could'n  sleep  whar  de  mockin  bird 
Could'n  sing  he  song  to  me ; 
I'd  soon  be  noth'n  but  skin  un  bones 
Ef  de  codfish  wuz  my  meat ; 
I'd  pine  un  die  on  Boston  beans, 
Caze  possum  is  what  we  eat.' 

"Dey  say,  'He's  a  reglar  jay-bird.'  Fus  I  a 
skyur  crow,  den  a  coon,  den  a  flower,  den  agin  a 
bird! 

"I  say,  'Yas,  sar,  all  dem  things  is  plen 
tiful  roun  hyur,  but  pears  like,  ef  dey  is  me  un 
I  is  dem,  tay  no  use  meckin  me  spornsible  fur 
noth'n  I  done>  caze  none  uv  dem  critters  got 
rale  hard  horse  sense.' 

"We  go  long  like  dat  a  good  ways,  un  dey 
nuver  'spicion  noth'n  ontwell  I  Ian  um  plum 
in  de  Cornfederate  lines,  un  stid  uv  dey  havin 
me,  I  had  dem.  I  seen  many  a  black  cloud 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  89 

in  summer  time,  but  de  looks  un  words  uv  dem 
two  men  wuz  wussen  any  thunder  un  light- 
nin  I  uver  see.  I  got  outen  de  retch  on  um, 
quick  is  I  could.  Is  I  start  home  I  mecks  um  a 
bow,  un  say,  'Dis  fool  nigger  did'n  have  nuff 
sense  to  lead  a  duck  to  water,  but  sho's  you 
born,  he  lead  two  geese  to  sich  troubled  waters, 
dar  wo  be  no  swimmin,  nur  flyin'  nuthur.' 

"Widdat  I  put  out  un  nuver  stop  twell  I  got 
home.  Miss  wuz  mighty  sprise  to  see  me,  un 
she  want  me  to  git  out  de  way,  twell  de  Yankees 
lef  de  neighborshood.  I  tell  her  I  ay  got  nowhar 
to  git,  un  I  ay  done  noth'n  to  hide  fur;  sides,  I 
done  promise  Marster  to  tuck  cyur  uv  her  un  de 
chillun,  while  he  way,  so  cose  I  bleeged  to  stay. 

"Yearly  de  nex  mornin,  is  I  spectid,  dey  come 
arter  me  agin.  Dis  time  dar  wuz  three  un  um, 
but  dar  war  no  shiverin  un  shakin  in  me.  I 
members  who  I  is,  Marse  Ginul  Harrison's  Hade 
Gardner,  what  nuver  wuz  skyured  uv  noth'n,  scusin 
snakes  un  hants.  De  fus  thing  dey  ax  me, 
did  I  know  inything  bout  two  uv  dey  men,  dey 
sarnt  out  yistiddy?  I  say,  'I  see  um  bout  de 
place,  un  I  meek  sho  dey  come  fur  to  bury  dey 
commonrade,  what  kill  hesef  drinkin  kaysene 
ile.  We  all  got  some  mighty  bad  alligaturs 
down  dar  in  de  river,  un  dey  mout  a  kotch  um, 
fur  what  I  know.'  My  mammy  raise  me  always 
to  tole  de  trufe,  less' n  I  in  a  mighty  tight  place; 
den  ef  I  bleege  to  lie,  to  be  sho  to  stick  to  it,  un 


90  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

keep  on  tellin  um,  twell  I  git  out  a  trouble. 
I  know  de  time  had  come  to  do  is  she  say.  Dey 
nuver  stop  ontwell  dey  tuck  me  to  de  orfficer. 
He  look  like  de  hade  overseer,  all  dress  up  in 
blue  un  gole. 

11  He  say,  'Is  you  de  man  what  had  de  audacious- 
niss  to  strike  one  uv  my  men?' 

"I  say,  'I  mout  be,  un  den  agin  I  mout'n.  But 
Mr.  Ginul,  I  gwy  speak  de  trufe  un  shame  de 
devul,  un  dar  he  stan  right  over  dar' — un  I  pint  at 
de  Buzzard.  'When  Marse  lef  home,  he  tell  me 
to  teck  cyur  uv  Mistiss  un  de  chillun,  un  when 
dat  man  what  call  hesef  a  sojur,  order  my  Mistiss 
roun  un  call  her  names,  I  could'n  hope  it,  my  fis' 
jes  natchully  flewed  out  un  lit  in  he  mouf.  Mr. 
Ginul,  I  ay  no  f ussin,  fightin  nigger,  but  dar  ay  no 
collured  man,  ef  he  inyways  sef-spectin,  un  got 
de  right  stuff  in  im,  gwy  stan  un  see  his  Mistiss 
suited.' 

"  'Whar  is  yo  Marster?' 

"  'Law,  Mr.  Ginul,  you  ought  to  know  dat  bet- 
tern  me,  caze  de  las  time  I  hyur  tell  on  im,  he  jes 
done  gin  yo  men  sich  a  beat'n  dey  ay  stop  runnin 
yit.  I  doe  zackly  know  whar  he  at,  but  wharsom- 
uver  he  is,  I  sho  he  chasin  Yankees.' 

"  De  men  standin  roun  sniggle  un  giggle,  but  de 
Ginul  frown  un  say,  'I  spose  you  know  who 
yo  Marster  is?' 

"  'Oh,  yas,  sar,  evybordy  know  my  Marster,  un 
dem  dat  dont  is  de  wuss  off.  He  Marse  Ginul  Har- 


"'When  Marse  lef  home,  he  tell  me  to  teck  cyur  uv  Mistiss  un  de  chillun'" 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  91 

rison.  Dey  de  fuss  people,  de  Harrisons  is,  dat 
got  hyur  arter  Marse  Chris  Cumlumbus  skivered 
Meriky,  un  my  granmammy  were  named  Chris 
Meriky,  arter  bofe  un  um.  So  cose  dey  blongs  to 
de  fus  fambly  in  de  country.  De  Harrisons  un 
Marse  Pat  Henry,  wid  a  few  mo  like  um,  meek  dis 
country  what  tis.' 

"  'How  wuz  dat,  ole  man? ' 

"  'Well,  sar,  be'n  is  how  you  is  a  stranger  in 
dese  parts,  I  reckon  you  ay  nuver  hyur  tell  uv 
Marse  Pat  Henry.  He  were  a  mighty  nice  gemp- 
mun,  but  sorter  full  uv  hesef ,  un  de  beatinis  man 
fur  talk,  dat  uver  wucked  a  jaw.  So  when  de 
country  got  in  trouble,  dey  sarnt  him,  un  de  Har 
risons — un  Marse  Tom  Jefferson  mout  a  bin  long 
— to  Richmun  fur  to  fix  up  things.  While  de 
meetin  wuz  gwine  on  in  St.  John's  Chuch,  Marse 
Pat  Henry  he  jump  up  un  gin  to  argify,  un  when 
he  could' n  hole  hesef  in  no  longer,  he  pintly  low 
is  how  dey  mus  gin  im  his  own  way,  ur  kill  im  one 
tother;  dey  could' n  spyar  him,  so  dey  low  im  to 
do  is  he  choose,  un  he  save  de  country.  Evy  sense 
on  de  fofe  uv  July,  we's  had  de  celumbrashun  uv 
de  Decorashum  uv  Himdumpenunce,  wid  a  plenty 
a  fire  wucks  throwed  in.  Pears  like  de  fire  wucks 
done  teck  de  place  uv  de  big  men,  what  use  to 
wuz.  From  dat  day  Ole  Virginny  tuck  de  lead, 
un  she  had  it  evy  sense.  She  always  have  de 
bes  men  for  de  casion,  whatsomuver  dat  mout 
be,  un  whensomuver  she  am  backards  in  comin 


92  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

forrards,  you  may  be  sho  de  business  is  power 
ful  small.  She  got  de  name  uv  raisin  de  biggis 
men,  de  biggis  sweet  taters,  un  de  biggis  pos 
sums  on  top'n  de  yuth!  But  I  tecks  off  my 
hat  is  I  come  to  de  bes  thing  uv  all,  de  ole  Vir- 
ginny  Mistiss.  Fur  all  dat  is  good  un  beauful, 
she  de  Mistiss  uv  de  worl.  She  stan  jes  is  high 
over  tother  folks,  is  de  eagle  do  over  de  spar 
row.' 

"  'Ole  man,  is  you  ever  bin  in  a  lunatic  sylum? " 

"  'No,  sar;  de  Souf  ay  nuver  need  no  sich  a  thing 
fur  we  all,  but  sho's  you  born,  ef'n  you  tun  de 
nigger  loose  on  de  country,  de  quicker  you  build 
dem  sylums  de  better.' 

"Den  he  tell  me  to  go  home,  un  say  he  gwy 
sen  Miss  a  guard,  so  she  wo  be  sturbed  no  mo, 
caze  he  un  Marster  wuz  Men's  at  West  Pint. 

"I  say,  'Please,  MarseGinul,  mout  I  shook  hans 
wid  you  fur  dat?  caze  ef  you  Marster 's  frien  I 
knows  you  is  a  gempmum.  I  ax  you  a  thous'n 
pard'ns  ef'n  I  bin  inyways  disrespecable.  Some 
times  a  ole  nigger's  brains  gits  addled,  un  den  he 
tongue  mo'n  ap  to  wag  at  bofe  eens.' 

"When  we  git  home,  dey  wuz  all  mighty  proud 
to  see  us,  specialty  de  chillun — dey  hang  roun  un 
would' n  leave  me.  Little  Mary  put  her  arms 
roun  my  nake  un  say,  'Daddy  Ben,  I  so  fraid 
de  Yankees  done  eat  you  up.' 

"We  wuz  all  kinder  skittish  uv  dat  guard, twell 
we  see  how  kind  un  good  he  wuz.  Evy  time  he 


"  Daddy  Ben' 


. 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  93 

draw  he  rashums,  he  bring  back  supp'n  nice  fur 
Miss  un  de  chillun.  She  thank  im  mighty  perlite, 
but  nuver  totched  noth'n.  Cose  de  chillun  did'n 
know  no  better,  un  dey  wuz  pleased  wid  evything 
he  fotch. 

"He  stay  mo'n  a  munt,  un  when, he  had  to  go, 
you  mout  a  thought  he  de  chillun  bes  frien, 
frum  de  way  dey  hug  un  kiss  im.  De  tears 
wuz  in  he  eyes  too,  un  he  tell  Miss  when  de 
war  wuz  over  he  sho  comin  down  hyur  to  live, 
caze  twuz  de  bes  place,  un  de  bes  folks  he  uver 
see.  He  tole  de  Gorspel  trufe  dat  time,  ef'n 
he  nuver  done  it  befo. 

"Arter  dat,  a  sick  sojer  wuz  lef  on  de  road  to 
die,  un  Miss  had  im  fetched  up  to  de  house,  un  nus 
im  same's  he  one  uv  de  fambly,  stider  de  wuss 
inimy  we  all  had.  Polly  Ann  were  de  bes  nus 
on  de  place,  so  she  had  to  teck  cyur  on  im.  She 
were  mighty  good  un  faithful  bout  waitin  on  im, 
un  tendin  to  im,  so  when  he  wuz  well  nuff  to  go 
home,  he  thank  her  fur  all  her  kindness,  un  tell 
her,  whensomever  she  want  to  come  Norf,  all 
she  got  to  do,  jes  let  im  know,  un  he  well  sen 
de  money  to  pay  her  spensis. 

"Arter  de  war  wuz  over  un  de  stervancis 
wor  so  bilin  hot,  here  come  a  letter  from  him, 
wid  de  money,  axin  her  to  come  on,  caze  he  want 
his  family  to  see  her.  Polly  Ann  nuver  cyur 
so  much  bout  goin,  caze  she  skittish  a  bein  so 
fur  frum  home,  but  Miss  vise  her  to  go,  so  cordin 


94  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

to  dat  she  went.  In  about  a  week's  time  arter 
she  lef,  we  look  up  de  road  one  evenen,  un  dar 
wuz  Polly  Ann  comin  home. 

"  Is  she  step  in  de  doo  she  drap  on  her  knees, 
un  say,  Trez  Gord,  I  done  git  back  to  my  own 
people  once  mo' !' 

' '  I  say,  'Hi !  wuz  dar  iny  misgreeunce  twix  you 
un  yo  Yankee  friens?' 

"  'Nor,  dey  could'n  a  been  no  better  to  me;  dey 
gin  me  a  room  up  stairs  in  de  same  house  wid  dem, 
un  gracious  mussy  on  me,  dey  achsully  meek  me 
sot  down  at  de  same  table  un  eat  wid  um,  three 
times  a  day.  Dat  is  I  try  to  eat,  but  evy  time  I 
look  up  I  see  so  many  eyes  scrutionizin  a  me,  you 
mout  a  thought  I  wuz  a  wile  varmint,  jes  out'n  de 
woods.  Dey  always  had  a  heap  of  silver  un 
flowers  on  de  table,  un  a  plenty  to  eat,  sich  is 
twuz.  But  sich  foamy,  furrin  things,  un  thin 
watery  soups  lef  me  jes  is  hungry  when  I  git  up, 
is  when  I  sot  down. 

"  'I  tell  um,  ef'n  dey  could  tase  we-all's  rich, 
thick  Jumbo  soup,  dey  would'n  tetch  sich  stuff 
is  dat  no  mo.  I  use  to  git  so  homesick,  un  I 
think  to  mysef ,  ef  de  Lord  spyar  me  to  sot  down 
one  more  time  at  our  kitchen  table,  wid  a  plenty 
a  corn  bread,  un  a  plate  a  good  greasy  cabbage, 
wid  de  folks  laughing,  un  jokin  un  cuttin  uv 
de  pigeon  wing,  dat  dey  nuver  git  me  way  agin  in 
de  creashum.  Sott'n  by  white  folks  did'n  suit 
my  stummuck;  pear  like  it  tuck  my  hapentite 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  95 

clean  away,  caze  I  ay  use  to  mixin  up  wid  um 
like  dat  nohow.  Dey  skin  is  white  un  ourn 
is  black,  undar's  jes  is  much  diffunce  twix  us  on 
de  inside,  is  dar  be  on  de  outside.  Ef  looks 
could  a  pison  inybordy,  I'd  a  drap  dade  in  my 
tracks,  caze  when  dat  white  butler  wait  on 
me,  he  look  mad  nuff  to  kill  me.  Doe  tole  me 
noth'n  bout  dat  New  York;  tis  de  tarnashunis, 
beatinis,  busyis  place  I  uver  come  crost.  De 
fus  mornin  arter  I  got  dar,  I  look  out  de  doo, 
un  seed  so  many  folks  racin  down  de  street,  I 
run  out  un  holler,  "Whar  de  fire  at?  Which 
a  way  is  de  fire?"  Nobordy  nuver  tuck  no  notis, 
so  I  kotch  a  gempmun  by  de  coat  tail  un  ax  im, 
"Please,  Marster,  what  is  de  marter,  meek  all 
dese  folks  in  sich  a  big  hurry?"  He  stop  un 
look  hard  at  me  un  say,  "Pear  like  a  lunatic  done 
scape."  By  dat  time  Mr.  Smith — he  de  gempmun 
I  visitin — meek  me  come  in  de  house.  Arter 
I  git  better  quainted,  I  see  twar  noth'n — jes 
evybordy  in  a  whirl-win  to  git  money.  At 
home  I  bin  use  to  see  darkies,  frum  de  time  dey 
larn  to  walk,  tuck  pattern  frum  de  snail,  un  dey 
nuver  low  deysef  to  beat  im  fur.  Anuther  time,  I 
try  to  teck  a  street  cyar  on  Broadway;  I  stan  frum 
9  twell  plum  12  o'clock,  un  stop  evy  cyar  dat 
pass,  but  is  I  look  in,  de  seats  wuz  all  pack,  un 
a  plenty  a  hangin  on  to  de  strings.  I  say  to  my- 
sef,  "Dar  mus  be  a  big  circus  somewhar  bout." 
De  crowd  keep  a  passin,  un  I  reckon  I  bin 


96  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

standin  dar  yit,  ef  it  had'n  bin  fur  a  perlice. 
I  done  stop  so  many  cyars,  pears  like  dey  done 
git  stalldid,  un  fur  is  you  could  se,  dar  dey 
wuz.  Dat  perlice  grab  me  by  de  arm  un  say, 
"What  is  you  doin,  you  black  borilla?"  I  tell 
im  he  done  mischance  my  name,  dat  tis  Polly 
Ann.  Den  I  splain  to  im  huccum  I  stop  so 
many  cyars,  caze  I  did'n  war  jam  up  gin  de 
white  folks.  He  push  me  in,  un  say,  '  'You  got 
to  git  on  dis  one,  ef'n  it  teck  you  to  hell."  When 
I  out  a  retch  uv  he  stick,  I  holler  back,  "I  boun 
you  git  dar  fus,  caze  de  road  you's  on  is  faster 
den  dis,  un  pear  like  you  got  a  free  pass  dat 
way."  Is  I  try  to  sot  down  de  cyar  fling  me  in 
a  gempmun's  lap,  un  when  I  riz  I  struck  de  butt 
een  uv  my  umbriller  mos  in  a  lady  eye.  I  wished 
I  had  a  kep  on  standin. 

"'Dey  wuz  mighty  sprised  at  Mister  Smith's, 
when  I  tell  um  I  had  to  git  home;  dey  speck 
me  to  stay  a  munt.  He  ax  me  aint  evybordy 
bin  good  to  me,  un  aint  I  had  evything  I  want. 
I  says,  "Yas,  sur,  but  I  bleeged  to  git  home."  He 
say, '  'I  guess  I  bin  better  to  you  den  yo  Marster — 
he  nuver  low  you  to  set  at  de  table  wid  him,  did 
he?"  "Who?  my  Marster?  My  Marster  a  gemp- 
mun — he  doe  soshate  wid  niggers."  ' " 


CHAPTER  IX 

"/^RANDADDY,  what  you  chucklin  bout  over 
^*  dar  in  de  chimbly  cornder?" 

"  Honey,  wharsoever  I  at,  night  ur  day,  I  bleege 
to  laugh  when  I  thinks  bout  dat  fool  nigger 
Mose,  un  what  he  tell  me,  is  he  pass  by  hyur 
on  he  way  home." 

"  Grandaddy,  sholy  you  ay  gwy  lef  me  out  dat 
joymint,  is  you?" 

"Well,  he  say,  Ts  a  Norf  Caliny  nigger,  un  when 
I  were  a  liddle  pigadinny ,  Mammy  use  to  say,  when 
she  got  mad,  "  Yo  hade  hard  is  a  pine  knot,  un  you 
black  is  tar,  so  dis  de  place  fur  you,  caze  Norf 
Caliny  nigger  is  de  meanis,  mulishis  nigger  in 
de  worl."  (She  cum  frum  Ole  Virginny.) 

'"I  says  to  myself,  tay  no  use  bein  free  un  edi- 
cated,  caze  I  kin  read,  ef  de  letters  is  big  un 
dar  aint  many  on  em.  I  says  tay  no  use  in  dat 
ef  you  doe  git  no  speunce  uv  de  worl.  I  sets 
my  min  fur  to  go  to  Washington,  caze  dey  say 
tis  nigger  Heben,  un  evybordy  know  is  how  Mr. 
Booker  Washinton  name  dat  place  arter  his- 
sef.  By  de  time  I  done  got  to  Richmund  my 

99 


ioo  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

money  gin  out,  caze  ef  you  keeps  comp'ny  wid 
craps,  yo  money  wo  keep  comp'ny  wid  you. 
I  nuver  knowed  nobordy  dar,  un  bein  is  how 
twant  blackberry  time  «nor  yit  watermillion, 
I  war  able  to  pick  up  nuthin  dout  wuck. 

"  '  Dey  tell  me  Marse  Jedge  Brown  want  a  butler. 
I  ax  um  what  he  spec  im  to  butt  agin.  Dey 
say,  "You  sho  is  a  fool  nigger.  Whar  is  you  cum 
frum  inyhow?"  So  I  says,  "I  gwine  see  bout  dat 
place,  caze  I  hear  he  pay  big  money  un  quires 
mighty  little  wuck,  un  dat  de  job  for  me. ' '  I  went 
dar,  un  a  solum  specable  omun  open  de  doo. 
I  says,  "Hows  yo  health  dis  mornin,  Miss?  I's  a 
gempmun  frum  Norf  Caliny,  cum  to  see  ef  a 
white  man,  what  live  hyur,  want  help."  Dat 
omun  sho  wuz  tempshus.  Pears  like  her  eyes 
sarch  me  fru  un  fru.  Den  she  spoke  up  un  say, 
"You  aint  de  kind  er  fool  we' s  looking  fur;  sich 
trash  is  you,  we  sweeps  out'n  de  back  doo." 
Wid  dat  she  bout  to  slam  de  doo  in  my  face, 
but  I  ketch  it  un  say,  "I  ax  yo  pard'n:  I  wuz  jes 
a  try  in  to  ack  perlite,  like  dey  does  in  Washintun." 
She  lem  me  cum  in  un  say,  "  Ole  Miss  is  out,  but  I 
spec  the  Jedge  will  see  you." 

' '  De  f us  thing  he  ax  me,  who  I  bin  live  wid  ? 
I  tell  im  Marse  Ginul  Catesby;  he  low  he  know 
im  mighty  well.  Den  I  han  im  my  rickerdashums. 
He  say,  "What  you  bin  doin  dar?"  Dat  wuz 
same's  a  mule  done  kick  me,  caze  I  wor  noth'n 
cep  stable  han  at  home,  un  cose  I  wor  gwy  splain 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  101 

dat.  I  mecks  a  low  bow  un  tell  im,  "  I  mos  in- 
ginullysarves  in  vaous  attichudes,  sar,  but  I  always 
tries  to  please  de  white  folks."  He  smile  un  tell 
me  cum  early  de  nex  day.  I  got  dar  befo  de  white 
folks  was  out'n  de  bade,  caze  twuz  Chrismus  un 
I  want  to  be  roun  when  de  presunts  wuz  a  circum- 
vatin. 

"  'Arter  breckfus,  evybordy  went  to  church. 
Twuz  so  close  to  de  house,  I  jes  step  roun  un  peep 
in.  I  ay  nuver  see  sich  doins  in  church  befo. 
Cedars  un  pines,  un  hollies  sett'n  bout  evywhar 
un  swingin  in  de  ar,  twell  it  look  mos  like  de  woods. 
But  grashus  mussy  on  my  soul!  right  whar  de 
preacher  stan,  wuz  a  g-r-e-a-t  big  brass  tuckey 
buzzard,  wid  he  wings  stretch  out,  un  a  book  on  he 
back.  I  know  de  white  folks  wo  low  nobordy  to 
kill  dem  varmints,  but  I  ay  hear  dey  sot  so  much 
sto  by  um,  dat  dey  put  he  monimint  in  de  chuch. 
It  sho  were  scanlous  de  way  dey  treat  dat  preacher; 
evy  time  he  try 4o  pray,  all  on  um  anser  him  back ; 
seem  like  dey  sput'n  wid  im  bout  sup'n.  In  de 
Fus  Baptist  Chuch  whar  I  blong,  I  seen  a  nigger 
hade  mos  knock  off,  fur  less'n  dat. 

"  '  De  sextum  tell  me  I  can  set  in  de  galry.  I 
say,  "Thanky,  sar,  but  I  wo  roose  in  no  place 
whar  dey  keeps  tuckey  buzzards."  Dat  wuz  a 
Pistocal  Chuch,  un  I  ay  nuver  had  no  use  fur  em 
sense. 

'"I  run  back,  un  me  un  Polly  Ann  git  to  wuck 
to  shine  up  de  silver  un  de  glass,  un  to  have  things 


102  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

ready  fur  dinner,  caze  dar  wuz  a  heap  er  comp'ny 
in  de  house.  When  evything  wuz  fix,  Marse 
Jedge  say,  "  Moses,  jes  befo  dinner,  bring  in  some 
cocktails."  I  run  down  de  barn  yard  un  tore 
roun  wuss'n  somebordy  stractid.  I  wuz  out  a 
bref  when  I  cum  back,  but  I  snatch  up  a  silver 
waiter  un  put  de  cocktails  on  it  un  tuck  it  in  to  de 
gempmen. 

'"I  says,  "I  hope  dey  suit  you,  sar;  dey  is  de 
finis  on  de  place,  caze  I  cut  um  off  de  chickens 
mysef."  Miss'  face  tun  mighty  red,  un  den  dey 
all  buss  out  in  a  laf.  I  ay  nuver  know  huccum. 
Soon  arter  dat  dey  all  march  in  to  dinner.  Polly 
Ann  dun  sho  me  how  to  han  chamepin.  Soon's 
uver  it  totch  de  glass  it  bile  over.  I  mos  blow 
dat  glass  off'n  de  table  un  I  says,  "  Marse  Jedge, 
dis  de  trufe:  I  jes  tuck  dat  thing  off'n  de  ice  un 
now  it  bunnin  up."  I  roll  my  eyes  at  Polly  Ann, 
caze  I  know  she  trick  dat  stuff  jes  to  comflusticate 
me.  Arter  dat  I  git  on  all  right,  wid  Polly  Ann 
to  hope  me,  scus'n  one  raw  oyshter  drap  on  de 
back  of  a  gempman's  nake.  He  jump  so  he  lead 
a  mo  knock  de  plate  out'n  my  han,  but  I  kotch  de 
oyshter  fo  he  know  what  totch  im.  When  dat 
dinner  were  mos  over,  de  pusrashum  wuz  runnin 
down  my  face,  same's  I  had  a  spring  in  my 
hade. 

"  '  Ole  Miss  done  'struc'  me,  how  she  want  some 
holly  put  roun  de  plum  pudd'n  un  arter  de  brandy 
wuz  po  on  it,  to  sot  it  on  fire  is  I  take  it  in. 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  103 

" '  I  pile  de  holly  roun  it  ontwell  de  dish  wo 
hole  no  mo;  den  I  fotch  de  biggist  waiter  on  de 
place  un  put  de  dish  on  dat,  wid  some  mo  holly; 
I  plies  de  match  un  open  de  doo,  but  de  blaze 
done  riz  so  high  I  could 'n  see  nobordy,  but  I  hear 
um  jump  up  un  run  todes  me,  but  befo  dey  git 
to  me,  my  hyar  done  kotch  un  in  a  light  blaze. 
I  drap  de  pudd'n,  un  tumble  down  de  steps,  un 
nuver  stop  ontwell  I  Ian  in  de  kitchen.  I  jes 
could  see  de  cook  noddin  in  de  chur,  un  I  butts 
plum  into  her,  un  grab  her  apun  to  put  out  my 
hade.  Dat  omun  gin  sich  a  howl,  she  far  shuck 
de  marrer  in  my  bones.  She  drap  on  her  knees 
un  say,  "  Please,  Marse  Devul,  have  mussy  on  me! 
No,  sar,  I  nuver  say  Devul — I  says,  Marse  Saturn, 
please  spyar  me.  I  ay  sot  fire  to  dat  pudd'n — 
I  jes  drink  de  brandy  un  put  kaysene  ile  in  de 
place  on  it,  caze  I  know  one  bun  same's  tother. 
Spyar  me  un  teck  Mose;  he  ar  mo  fitter  to  go  un 
I  ar."  Wid  dat  she  flop  over  on  de  floo.  By 
dis  time,  I  done  souge  my  hade  in  a  pail  a  water, 
un  I  knows  I  ay  hut  much ;  jes  all  my  hyar  dun 
swinge  off. 

" '  I  shakes  all  over,  when  I  thinks  bout  dat 
omun  teck  me  fur  de  devul,  come  fur  to  cyar  her 
off.  I  roll  off  de  chur  un  I  holler  un  laf ,  un  I  laf  un 
holler,  ontwell  Marse  Jedge  stan  over  me  un  say, 
"  You  darned  fool,  what  in  de  thunder  you  kickin 
up  all  dis  fuss  fur?"  I  try  to  tell  im,  is  how  de 
omun  tuck  me  fur  de  devul,  but  I  could'n  stop 


io4  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

laffin,  caze  I  had  de  high  strikes.  He  say,  "  I 
skin  you  alive  ef  you  doe  git  up  from  dar." 

" '  Den  de  laf  lef  me,  un  I  says,  "  I  zarve  fur  you 
to  teck  all  de  skin  off 'n  me,  what  de  fire  is  lef, 
caze  I  dun  ceive  you.  Un  Mammy  always  say: 

"  '  "Ef  you  ceive,  you  bleege  to  grieve; 
Ef  you  lie,  you  sho  to  die." 

Den  she  tell  us  chillun  bout  dem  poor  young 
ladies  in  de  Scriptur,  Miss  Annie  Nigh  Us  un  Miss 
Sophy  Fire;  how  dey  drap  dade,  caze  dey  did'n 
zactly  tole  de  trufe.  Evy  nigger  feel  fur  dem, 
caze  dey  know  how  tis  deysef."  At  dat  de  Jedge 
smile  un  put  he  han  in  he  pockit  un  gim  me  some 
money,  un  tell  me  to  git  out.  I  look  at  de  money, 
un  I  looks  at  him,  un  I  say,  "Thanky,  Marster; 
I  knowed  you  wuz  a  fuss-class  gempmun,  un  use  to 
niggers,  soon's  uver  I  hear  you  cuss." 


CHAPTER  X 

"/^RANDADDY,  I  bin  stayin  wake  uv  nights, 
^*     thinkin   bout   dem   Christmas   times  befo 
de  war,  un  it  bin  on  my  min'  so  much,  I  mos  got 
Christmus  in  my  bones." 

"  Honey,  I  feels  mighty  disconshumit  un  disin- 
curg  bout  tellin  uv  you,  caze  arter  all  I  kin  say, 
tis  so  diffunt  fram  de  rale  thing,  it  doe  seem  like 
noth'n.  Dese  Christmusis  we  has  now  ay  noth'n 
but  chile's  play — jes  unifications  uv  what  use  to 
wuz." 

"Well,  I  think  dey's  fine." 

"  Dat  caze  you  dunno  no  better.  We  all  had  mo 
Christmus  in  one  ole-time  Christmus  den  you  will 
uver  have  ef'n  you  live  to  be  a  hundud." 

"Grandaddy,  you  knows  a  heap  but  you  doe 
know  evything,  caze  I  mout  marry  a  rich  nigger, 
dat  own  he  own  cabin,  un  mule  un  cyart,  un  cows 
un  pigs  un  chickens,  un  den  you  may  pend  pun 
it,  I'd  gin  a  party  evy  Christmus,  un  war  a  yaller 
dress  wid  red  flowers  on  it." 

107 


io8  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"  Well,  sposin  is  how  you  done  it.  One  swallow 
doe  meek  a  summer,  no  mo'n  it  meek  a  Christmus; 
it  teck  a  heaper  swallows,  uv  mighty  good  eatins,  to 
meek  a  Christmus.  A  nigger  party  is  a  mighty 
one-horse  afyar  dese  days:  stale  cake  wid  weak 
lemonade,  un  mebbe  one  banjur  ur  a  fiddle  is 
bout  all." 

"Grandaddy,  is  you  sick?" 

"  Nor ;  what  meek  you  ax  me  dat  ?' ' 

"  Caze  I  hyur  um  say  tis  a  ill  bird  what  foul  he 
own  nes,  un  pears  like  you  always  meckin  small  uv 
we  all." 

"  I  ay  no  sich  thing;  I  jes  tell  de  naked  trufe  like 
tis.  Fo  de  war,  de  cullured  folks  wuz  de  bes  people 
in  de  worl,  scus'n  de  white  folks,  un,  praise  Gord,  I 
know  some  now  wid  souls  jes  is  white  is  dey  skin 
is  black.  I  mosly  speechifyin  bout  dem  dat  give 
deysef  so  many  ars,  doe  I  reck'n  dat  bout  all  dey 
kin  gin  deysef. 

"Nowadays,  cullured  folks  think  dey  ay  livin 
less'n  dey  swarm  in  town  un  settle  in  somebordy's 
back  alley,  whar  dey  kin  retch  out  dey  arms  un 
tetch  a  grog-shop  wid  one  han  un  a  ash-bank  wid 
t'other.  Dat  what  dey  call  'joyin  freedom.  Dey 
done  forsook  de  country,  de  blessed  country,  whar 
we  use  to  wuck  in  de  fresh  ar  un  sunshine,  wid  de 
birds  singin  so  sweet  'mongst  de  flowers  un  trees, 
dat  we  forgit  twuz  wuck  un  jes'  thank  de  good 
Lord  dat  he  made  us  un  put  us  right  whar  we  wuz. 
De  country  speak  fur  itsef,  un  speak  so  pruddy 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  109 

dat  evybordy  know  tis  de  wuck  uv  His  hans.  De 
town  speak  loud  nuff  too,  but  tis  altoguthur  a 
duffunt  chune.  Wharsomever  you  look,  you  doe 
see  noth'n  scus'n  rocks  un  bricks,  what  man  done 
pile  up  fur  he  own  gloricashum,  less'n  tis  a  few 
dusty  trees,  wid  a  plenty  a  English  sparrers 
throwed  in.  In  town,  tis  mos'  ornpossible  fur  de 
white  folks  to  'scape  de  crutches  uv  Saturn — less 
mo'  de  nigger;  he  doe  stan  no  chance  a  tall,  caze 
mos  evy  bref  is  smoke  un  sin  vid  de  ole  Scratch 
always  lively  un  busy  fannin  uv  de  fumes  roun 
evy  cornder. 

"  Tay  nobordy  kin  stay  mean  long  un  live  in  de 
country,  mo'  particular  on  de  Jeems  River,  caze 
de  fine  ar  keep  de  liver  right,  un  dat  stroys  all  de 
natchulsymtumsuvdemin' ;  un  ef'n  iny  badniss  lef, 
when  de  malarious  teck  hoi'  on  you,  sho's  you  born, 
dem  chills  gwy  shuck  it  out,  caze  on  de  plantashum 
we  done  teck  notis  dem  dat  has  de  shakinis  chills 
always  has  de  meekis  un  de  f ewis  ornjectable  ways. 
Den  agin,pears  like  dat  river  preachin  un  singin  to  us 
all  de  time  tellin  us  our  restin  place  ay  hyur,  but  we 
mus  go  on  un  on  over  rocks  un  rough  places,  byarin 
many  a  burd'n  orntwell  at  las  we  cum  to  dem  still 
waters  dat  float  us  to  de  peaceful  sho'.  Dat  river- 
song  put  me  in  min'  uv  de  low  sweet  chune 
Mammy  use  to  sing  to  us  chillun,  when  she  git  us 
to  sleep  uv  nights. 

"Ole  is  I  is,  dat  chune  ay  nuver  lef  me.  Mo 
particular,  when  I  sick  un  in  trouble,  den  I  hyur 


no  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

it  so  plain  un  feel  so  easy  un  comforble,  I  think 
sholy  Mammy  mus  be  close  by,  un  mebbe  she 
wuz,  I  dunno,  caze  de  Lord  so  good,  He  mout 
low  her  to  cum  back  a  little  while  in  sich  times. 
Seem  like  I  kin  see  her  now  is  she  sot  in  de  chim- 
bley  cornder  knittin  un  smok'n  her  pipe,  wid  a 
apun  white  is  snow,  un  one  dem  ole-timey  red  un 
yaller  bandany  hankchuffs  pile  up  on  her  hade. 
Yurs  fo  she  die,  she  were  so  ole  she  nuver  done 
noth'n  cep'n  what  she  choose,  but  she  love  to  knit 
socks  fur  de  men,  un  gloves  fur  de  wimmen.  She 
wuz  'Mammy  Chloe'  to  evybordy  on  de  planta- 
shum,  un  twor  only  in  name.  Long  is  she  could 
git  about  she  hope  nuss  de  sick,  big  un  little. 
Christmus  mornins  her  room  was  mos  like  a  sto', 
caze  twar  nobordy  too  po'  to  member  her.  Soon's 
ever  she  git  two  ur  three  pyars  a  socks  done,  she 
put  um  in  a  baskit,  un  always  teck  um  to  de  house 
hersef .  Den  Miss  un  de  young  ladies  meek  sich  a 
fuss  over  her  wuck  un  praise  her  so,  twas  same's 
candy  to  a  chile.  She  nuver  bring  dat  baskit  back 
emty  nuther,  caze  dey  always  fill  it  wid  what  dey 
know  she  want.  Many  a  time  I's  hyurd  her 
thankin  Gord  fur  sich  a  Mistiss.  So  you  see, 
Honey,  tis  in  my  blood  to  love  white  folks.  Me  un 
Ginny  always  kep  her  splied  wid  good  smokin  ter- 
baccer  un  sto'  shoes  fur  her  po'  ole  tired  feet.  De 
las  wuck  she  uver  done,  wuz  to  knit  dem  long 
warm  socks  fur  me.  I  ay  nuver  had  de  heart  to 
war  um,  but  sometimes  when  I  feels  lonesome  uv 


'Mammy  Chloe" 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  in 

nights,  I  tecks  um  to  bade  wid  me,  long  wid  Ginny's 
shawl,  un  den  de  sleep  cum  quick  un  sweet,  un 
once  mo  I's  wid  Mammy  un  Ginny." 

"  Grandaddy,  is  dat  huccum  you  tecks  dat  bottle 
a  whisky  to  bade  wid  you  evy  night  too,  caze  you 
think  so  much  on  it?" 

"  Nor,  I  has  dat  in  case  a  sickness." 

"Grandaddy,  I  smells  it  so  strong,  you  mus  be 
sick  cornstunt  uv  nights." 

"Nor,  I  ay  nuther,  but  dat  bottle  so  hard  un 
cole,  un  pester  me  so  sometimes,  I  bleege  to  drink 
de  whisky,  to  git  shet  uv  it. 

"Mos  a  yur  fo  Mammy  die,  she  were  disable  to 
lef  her  house,  but  evy  day  de  Lord  sen,  Ole  Miss 
un  de  young  ladies  cum  down  to  read  de  Bible 
to  her,  un  to  see  she  did'n  lack  fur  nuth'n.  Honey, 
min'  what  I  tell  you:  always  stick  to  yo  ligionfuss, 
ef'n  tis  de  right  kin',  un  yo  own  white  folks  nex, 
ef'n  dey  got  money,  un  doe  nuver  low  nuth'n  to 
come  twix  you  un  dem  two,  caze  one  tecks  cyar  on 
you  in  de  nex  worl,  un  de  tother  do  de  same  by 
you  in  de  worl  what's  hyur.  •  It  go  gin  me  to  tole 
it,  but  tay  no  use  fur  to  keep  it  back,  but  dar's 
mighty  little  ligion  in  de  Pistocal  Church,  cep'n 
bout  in  spots.  De  Mephdis  ay  much  better,  but 
dem  Pristeriums  is  de  wuss  uv  al,  caze  who  uver 
hyur  of  a  Pristerium  nigger?  Tay  none.  Un 
whar  de  fold  is  so  narrer  dat  it  cyar  teck  in  a 
few  black  sheep  long  wid  de  white,  you  may  be 
sho'  de  pickins  mus  be  mighty  small  un  too 


ii2  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

scace  to  go  roun.  Den  agin,  nex  to  eat'n,  dar 
ay  noth'n  de  darkey  love  like  buss'n  out  in  a 
big  horse  laugh.  Now,  nobordy  ay  nuver  hyur 
de  true  blue  Pristerium  laugh.  Tis  gin  natur, 
caze  dey  brags  dat  dey  born  in  a  state  uv  sin  un 
misry,  un  pear  like  dey  bleege  to  stay  dar. 
Frum  de  cradle  to  de  grave,  dey  spends  dey 
time  buryin  pledgur,  un  dey  is  always  de  natchul 
pall-byarers  uv  de  same.  Eben  dat  outlandish 
Roman  Catlick  Chuch  do  teck  in  a  few  spectid 
cullured  folks — but  dey  gits  turrubble  dum- 
foundid  un  comflusticatid,  wid  de  cumfushun 
uv  de  rattlin  brass  un  de  tinklin  thimbles.  But 
it  do  um  some  good  too,  caze  dey  bleege  to  min' 
dat  priest  un  dey  say  he  wo  dissolve  um,  or  sump'n 
nother  like  dat,  less'n  dey  spend  a  heaper  time 
un  all  dey  money  right  dar,  stidder  scatterin'  it 
roun  mongst  dem  secret  scieties  what  dey  all  crazy 
bout.  I  rickleck  when  Big  Billy  cum  fru,  he  travel 
a  monstous  hard,  rocky  road,  caze  he  were  a  good 
man,  all  scus'n  to  one  thing  gin  im.  Pear  like, 
when  he  handle  tother  folk's  prapty,  some  on  it 
bleege  to  stick  to  he  fingers — twar  noth'n  much, 
jes  chick' ns  un  sich  little  things  is  dat,  but  cose, 
arter  he  git  ligion,  he  drap  all  dat.  He  were 
mighty  pestered  in  he  min',  which  chuch  to  jine, 
caze  de  Baptis  whar  he  blong  sorter  skeer  im  off, 
wid  de  sougin  he  bleege  to  teck  in  dem  deep 
waters.  Dey  all  try  to  git  im,  caze  he  had  a 
loud  voice  un  a  powerful  arm,  un  dem  things 


'Ole  Miss  un  de  young  ladies  cum  down  to  read  de  Bible  to  her'" 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  113 

always  cum  in  mighty  handy  in  de  cullured 
meetins.  He  Mephdis  friens  try  to  suade 
im  to  cum  wid  dem,  un  tell  im  tay  much  spectid 
uv  im  in  dat  chuch,  cep'n  to  shout.  But  one 
dem  Catlicks  what's  always  mighty  up  un  stirrin 
bout,  gittin  members,  splain  to  him  ef'n  he  jine 
dem,  doe  meek  no  difTunce  what  he  do,  dey  sho' 
giv  im  dissolution.  Dat  hit  de  nail  plum  on  de 
hade,  caze  Billy  were  always  on  de  make,  un  he 
low,  bein  is  how  twuz  de  onlyis  chuch  dat  offer 
to  gin  him  inything,  he  gwine  long  a  dem  un 
teck  what  he  could  git.  Dat  were  some  time  fo' 
Easter,  un  I  hyur  um  say,  Billy  were  awful  dis- 
pinted  dat  he  nuver  ceive  nuth'n.  He  say  he 
meek  sho'  is  de  name  wuz  so  big,  de  present  gwy 
corrisporn,  un  mo'n  dat,  he  say  dey  had'n  lowed 
im  to  eat  a  squar  meal  sense  he  tun  Catlick.  Cose 
tay  no  hard-shell  Baptis  kin  see  noth'n  good  in 
tother  folks,  caze  dey  so  extry  deysef,  de  bad 
stan  out  mighty  big  in  evybordy  else.  But  dey 
tuns  de  blind  side  un  de  deef  yur  to  a  heap  dat 
goes  on  mongst  deysef,  caze  we  bleege  to  have 
charty  to  one  anuther.  Tis  hard  to  git  in  dat 
chuch,  un  jes  is  hard  to  git  out — dat  meek  it  de 
hard-shell  Baptis.  But  tis  de  ark  a  safety,  caze 
all  her  foundashums  un  trus  is  in  de  water,  un 
ginst  dat  tay  no  flames  dat  kin  purvail." 

"Grandaddy,  ay  we  all  white  folks  Pistocal?" 
"  Yas,  Honey,  all  de  quality  white  folks  is  Pis 
tocal,  but  our  folks  jes  natchully  born  so  good, 


ii4  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

de  chuch  cyar  hut  um.  I  bleege  to  say  dis  much : 
de  Pistocal  ligion  doe  do  nobody  no  harm,  no  mo'n 
it  doe  do  um  no  good.  Pear  like  it  lef  um  to  do 
pruddy  much  is  dey  choose. " 

"Well,  Grandaddy,  I  doe  cyar  what  you  say, 
nur  what  you  is.  Our  white  folks  is  Pistocal,  un 
Miss  Mary  is  Pistocal,  un  livin  un  dade,  I's  Pis 
tocal  too. " 

"You  ay  nuver  gwy  be  much,  caze  you  born 
on  a  ornlucky  day  uv  a  ornlucky  munt,  un  on  de 
wrong  side  uv  de  moon;  wuss'n  all,  you  born  a 
free  nigger,  so  ef  n  you  doe  misgrace  yosef ,  tis  much 
is  I  kin  spec.  " 

"You  doe  spec  much  a  me  ornjorin  de  day, 
but  soon's  ever  night  cum,  you  mo'n  apt  to  spec 
me  to  hope  keep  off  dem  hants.  So  arter  dis,  you 
kin  keep  all  yo  specs  to  yosef. " 

"Well,  sence  you  so  uppish  un  sassy,  you  kin 
do  dout  de  Chrismus  time  you  war  hyur  bout.  " 

"Yas,  un  you  kin  do  dout  my  cookin  un  live 
on  dat  ole  Chrismus  time  too." 

"I  reckon  Miss  Mary  will  see  to  dat,  un  I  gwy 
tole  her  bout  yo  'havior  dis  day. " 

"  Grandaddy,  me  un  you  ay  gwy  have  no  fuss, 
caze  we  is  good  Baptis,  un  dey  ay  no  tale-toters, 
nur  eaves-drappers  nuther. " 

"Pears  like  I  always  flewin  off  frum  whar  I 
start,  wus'n  a  blue  bird,  lookin  fur  a  place  to 
buil'  in  springtime.  Whar  wuz  I  at?  Oh! 
yas,  de  ole  sayin,  'Chrismus  cum  but  wunst  a  yur, 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  115 

un  when  it  cum  it  bring  good  chur,'  un  it  did  for 
a  fac  wid  me,  caze  cornstunt  Marster  un  Mistiss 
sarnt  me  a  nice  easy  chur  for  Chrismus.  Dey 
low  I  stan  so  much  ornjorin  de  day — I  nuver  was 
no  sot'n  nigger,  nohow — dey  war'  me  to  have 
sup'n  comfuble  to  sot  in  when  I  got  home  uv 
nights.  Dat  huccum  you  see  all  dese  nice  churs 
roun  hyur  now.  Me  un  Ginny  nuver  buy  none 
on  urn,  you  may  be  sho." 

"I  thought  dey  had  always  long  to  us,  caze  we 
wuz  de  quality  cullured. " 

"Poo  white  trash  un  darkies  always  sets  orn- 
easy  in  fine  churs.  Dey  mo'n  apt  to  set  too 
much  side  ways,  back  ways  ur  front  ways.  I 
blege  to  laugh  when  I  think  bout  dat  Dilsey 
Dina  come  in  hyur  wid  her  hade  up  in  de  ar,  un 
her  apun  full  a  aigs.  She  look  roun  un  pick  out 
de  bes'  chur  like  she  use  to  it,  un  sot  plum  down 
on  de  aidge ;  cose  it  kick  up  behime,  un  butt  her  on 
de  back  uv  de  hade.  She  flop  down  on  de  flo' ,  wid  all 
de  aigs  flyin  un  squshin  evy  which  a  way.  Sich 
a  mess  is  she  wuz !  She  wor  fitten  to  see.  I  laugh 
so  hard  I  could' n  hope  her  up,  un  evy  time  she 
mek  a  struggle  to  git  up,  de  mo  aigs  she  broke. 
De  mortication  un  de  bruk  aigs  tuck  off  de  high 
hade  cornsidable. 

"Well,  de  blue  bird  done  lit,  so  de  black  bird 
gwine,  on  bout  de  ole  Chrismus.  Pears  like  I 
kin  hyur  de  sleigh  bells  a  ringin,  de  chillun 
shoutin  un  laughin,  de  carriges  un  wagins 


n6  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

a  comin,  un  de  bustle  un  fuss  in  de  kitchen,  un 
de  whole  plantashum  in  a  broad  grin  un  busy 
un  happy  is  de  birds  in  May  time.  Little  gal,  I 
doe  blieve  I  able  to  git  no  furder;  it  mos  breck 
my  ole  heart,  I  so  home-sick  fur  dem  days. " 

"Grandaddy,  we  still  got  Miss  Mary,  un  you 
know  she  give  us  a  fine  Chrismus  evy  yur. " 

"So  she  do,  so  she  do,  but  tis  mos  like  diggin 
up  de  grave  uv  somebordy  dat's  nigh  to  you. 
Bout  a  week  fo  de  time,  Miss  un  all  de  young 
ladies  un  gempmum  at  de  house  use  to  go  out 
in  de  woods  un  git  wagin  loads  uv  cedar,  holly, 
pine  un  runnin  cedar  to  dress  de  chuch  un  de 
house.  De  chuch  always  come  fuss  wid  Miss. 
Folks  use  to  say  she  un  Marster  wuz  de  pillars 
uv  de  chuch.  Dey  wuz  de  pillars,  de  roof  un 
mos  de  chuch  itsef.  Miss  wuz  bettern  iny 
preacher,  caze  her  sermons  wor  so  much  words 
is  dey  wuz  deeds.  She  jes  went  long  quiet-like, 
doin  fur  tothers.  She  kep  a  cyart  un  horse  busy, 
sendin  things  to  de  pasturage  fur  de  paster  un 
he  fambly.  De  servuns  grumble  mightly  be- 
hime  her  back  bout  so  much  leavin  de  place. 
Dey  nuver  like  to  see  nothin  go  off,  less'n  dey 
tote  'toff  deysef.  It  always  went  by  de  name 
uv  de  pasturage  cyart  un  pony,  un  dar  wuz 
prime  pickins  in  it,  I  kin  tell  you.  One  day,  is 
we  wuz  fixin  things  un  puttin  up  de  festooms 
in  de  chuch,  little  Mary  say,  'Daddy  Ben' — dat 
what  she  call  me — 'don't  it  look  beauful?'  I 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  117 

say,  'Yas,  honey,  but  ef'n  you  ma  want  it  to  look 
mo  like  de  woods,  in  no  time  I  kin  kotch  her  a 
possum  un  a  coon,  to  mix  wid  dem  greens  un 
it  be  mo  natchul-like. '  She  run  un  tole  her 
ma,  un  her  brother  Charles  wuz  standin  close 
by — he  say  ef  Daddy  Ben  cum,  dat  be  coon 
miff.  Little  Mary  spoke  up  un  say,  'Yas,  den 
you'll  be  de  ugly  possum. '  Miss  tole  im  ef'n  he 
did'n  have  no  mo  marners  den  dat,  he  could  go 
home  un  stay  by  hesef ,  orntwell  he  larnt  some, 
un  she  sarnt  im  straight  dar.  White  chillun  wuz 
mo  perlite  to  cullured  folks  in  dem  times  den 
cullured  chillun  is  to  white  folks  now.  Some 
time  befo  Chrismus,  Miss  always  use  to  sen  extry 
pervishums  to  de  quarters,  sich  is  flour,  molassis 
un  things,  so  is  de  servans  mout  have  plenty  a 
time  to  meek  dey  preckrashums.  Chrismus  Eve 
de  fun  begin,  wid  all  de  comp'ny,  Marster,  Mis- 
tiss  un  de  chillun  semble  on  de  porch,  to  sen  off 
fire  wucks.  De  servans  wuz  always  dar  too  to 
hope,  un  to  joy  de  sight;  un  twuz  a  sight,  to  be 
sho',  wid  all  dat  fire  comin  down  same's  rain. 
De  cullured  folks  think  twuz  fine  twell  de  fiery 
sarpunt  shoot  un  wriggle  in  de  ar;  den  some 
on  um  say  twuz  time  fur  dem  to  git  away,  caze 
it  brung  things  home  mos  too  close  fur  dey  use. 
By  times  de  nex  morn'n,  dey  all  swarm  up  to  de 
house  to  ketch  Marster  un  Mistiss  un  de  chillun 
Chrismus  gif ,  un  evybordy  on  de  place  got  a  nice 
presunt.  Ef'n  de  day  wuz  fine,  sometimes  we  spread 


n8  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

tables  under  de  big  oaks  un  had  our  dinner  dar; 
ef  twarnt,  two  or  three  famblies  put  dey  things 
toguther,  un  had  it  in  de  cabin,  jes  is  we  choose. 
Ornjorin  de  holdays,  evy  night,  rain  ur  shine, 
we  had  dancin,  candy  stews  ur  some  frolic  a 
nuther,  un  we  always  win'  up  wid  a  big  party. 
Un  dat  meek  me  say  what  I  do  say  bout  de 
parties  nowadays. 

"We  use  to  have  a  rousin  time  un  a  gumpshus 
supper;  roas  pig  wid  a  red  apple  in  he  mouf, 
ham,  turkey,  chickens,  cakes,  pies,  pudd'n,  cus 
tard,  candy,  nuts,  apples,  un  plenty  a  simmon 
beer  un  corffee  to  wash  all  dem  things  down. 
We  always  had  some  several  banjos  un  fiddles 
goin  all  de  time,  un  is  many  mo  to  teck  de  place 
uv  dem  dat  wuz  woed  out.  We  kep  up  dat 
frolic  twell  plum  daybreck.  Dat  what  I  calls 
a  reglar  ole-fashion  Virginny  breck-down.  Up 
at  de  house  twuz  pruddy  much  de  same,  only 
a  little  samer.  Dar  wuz  ridin  un  drivin  parties, 
dinner  un  evenin  parties,  card  parties,  un  always 
a  big  dance  Chrismus  night.  De  house  wuz 
full  frum  de  garret  to  de  celler,  un  pears  like 
dey  wuz  still  a  comin  un  nuver  none  agoin. 
Whomsoever  have  de  misfortnit  nuver  to  taste 
ole  Virginny  aig-norg,  dunno  what  tis  to 
have  rale  Chrismus  in  he  bones.  It  set  de 
Chrismus  bells  a  ringin  in  he  heart,  un  ef  he 
doe  tetch  it  mighty  light,  he  mo'n  apt  to  have 
dem  same  bells  a  jinglin  in  he  hade  de  nex  mo'nin. 


"  '     .    .    .     un  always  a  big  dance  Chrismus  night"' 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  119 

Tis  de  mixtry  uv  de  grejuncies  what  meek  de 
strank  un  de  pledgur.  Ef  two  gempmun  so 
much  is  toch  glassis  fill  wid  dat  foamy-sperit'd 
stuff,  un  fambly  fumes  been  bunnin  twix  um 
ornjorin  uv  ginnyrashums,  seem  like  dat  norg 
squench  de  fire  uv  hatr'd  un  ornchartibleniss, 
un  gin  um  peace  un  good  will.  Twuz  custery 
in  our  fambly  to  stir  up  a  great  big  bowl  uv 
aig-norg  reglar  evy  Chrismus  Eve.  Eben  dat 
ay  de  same  now — wrier  or  no  de  hens  is  done 
stop  layin  rich  aigs  or  de  sperits  is  corructed, 
I  dunno,  but  it  done  loss  it  tase.  Twuz  always 
serve  in  a  mengous  silver  bowl,  what  cum 
frum  clean  cross  de  water  un  wuz  one  uv  Mar- 
ster's  ar-looms  wid  de  fambly  coat  un  arms 
on  it.  I  ay  nuver  see  noth'n  like  dat  on  it, 
cep'n  when  it  full  a  aig-norg,  un  de  gempmun 
coats  un  arms  cornstunt  roun  it,  fillin  de  glassis 
un  hopen  deysef.  Miss  always  gin  de  house 
servans  some  uv  dat  good  stuff,  but  she  had 
to  be  cyurful  not  to  leave  um  wid  it  too  long, 
caze  whar  dar  is  a  heap  a  sperits,  you  may  be 
sho'  Saturn  is  close  by.  One  evenin,  Miss  call 
de  cook  up  to  de  pantry  to  give  her  some.  She 
say,  'MisSj  mout  I  ax  de  privdidge  to  toas  you 
in  dis  aig-norg?'  When  Miss  tell  her  yas,  dis 
what  she  speechify: 

"  'Peace  at  home,  pledgur  abroad, 

Love  your  husmon,  un  serve  the  Lord.' 

' '  I  ruther  live  one  yur  in  dem  times  den  five 


120  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

in  dese.  Even  de  beas'  un  de  birds  had  dey 
Chrismus  too;  de  chillun  wuz  rais  to  be  kin' 
to  dum  critturs.  So,  reglar,  dey  had  a  Chris 
mus  tree  for  dey  pets,  horses,  cows,  dorgs,  cats, 
un  birds.  Dey  use  to  have  a  tolable  good  cedar 
tree  fetched  up  to  de  house  un  put  in  de  groun, 
un  den  dey  tie  on  it  mos  evything  you  kin  think 
uv — corn,  apples,  cabbage  leaves,  beef,  crackers, 
nuts,  un  I  dunno  what  all.  Arter  twuz  all  fix, 
little  Mary  come  runnin  to  her  ma,  un  ax  her 
please  to  have  a  kittle  uv  stewed  vegables  fur 
Cowslip,  Daisy,  un  Buttercup.  Dey  wuz  her 
pet  cows.  She  say  de  corn  wuz  so  high  on  de 
tree  dey  could  n'  retch  it,  un  she  would 'n  slight 
dem  un  hut  dey  feelins  fur  nuth'n.  Chrismus 
mornin  de  chillun  all  jine  hans,  un  dance  round 
de  tree  singin  a  beautful  song  Marster  make 
up  a  purpose  fur  dem.  Den  dey  lead  dey  favor 
ite  pets  up  to  de  tree  to  hep  deysef.  Twuz 
sich  a  pruddy  sight  Marster  he  had  it  painted, 
un  de  pictur  hangin  in  de  libery  now.  Pears 
like  de  critters  know  twuz  put  dar  fur 
dem,  mo  specialty  de  red  birds,  de  blue  birds, 
un  de  mockin  birds.  De  chillun  had  mo  fun 
over  dat  den  dey  did  wid  all  dey  hansom  pre- 
sunts  put  toguther.  Even  de  grown  folks  love 
to  stan  un  watch  dat  tree.  You  know  de  one 
not  fur  frum  de  een  uv  de  poach?  Twuz  de 
fuss  de  chillun  put  out,  un  nobordy  had  no 
noshun  uv  it  livin,  caze  I  dig  it  up  mighty  cyur- 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  121 

liss  mysef,  un  dar  wuz  little  ur  no  roots;  now 
tis  de  hansomis,  biggis  cedar  on  de  place.  Marse 
always  say  no  money  could  buy  it. 

"De  servuns  tell  mighty  strange  mysterisome 
tales  bout  dat  tree;  dey  know  twuz  gin  natur 
fur  it  to  live.  De  fus  summer  arter  twuz  sot 
out  de  drout  wuz  so  bad  evything  mos  bun  up; 
yit  un  still,  under  dat  tree  wuz  always  cool  un  wet, 
but  watch  it  is  you  choose,  you  nuver  ketch 
nobordy  waterin  it.  Dey  all  cross  dey  hearts 
un  hope  dey  may  die,  ef  dey  uver  po  a  drap  on 
it.  Tis  de  greenis  one  on  de  place,  un  always 
full  a  berries,  when  tothers  ay  got  none.  Dey 
say  twuz  sot  out  by  little  innercent  chillun, 
wid  dey  hearts  full  er  love  fur  de  Lord's  dum, 
helpless  critters,  un  so  de  angels  jes  watch  over 
it,  un  meek  it  flourish  like  dat.  Un  it  do  look 
dat  a  way,  caze  wunst  dar  wuz  de  awfulis  storm, 
dat  blow  down  a  treemenjous  oak  not  fur  frum 
it — de  lims  wuz  scatter  all  roun,  evy  which  a  way, 
but  nary  one  come  nigh  dat  cedar.  Den  agin 
in  another  storm,  a  horse  standin  under  it  wuz 
struck  un  kilt  dade  by  a  streak  a  lightnin,  un 
yit  un  still  dat  tree  wor  totched." 

"Cose  I  knows  de  Christmus  tree,  caze  evy 
Sunday  when  tis  mil'  un  pleasant,  we  all  sets  under 
it  when  Miss  Mary  larn  us  de  Sunday  school  less'ns. 
I  hyur  Unc  Cormwallus  say,  one  dark  night  is  he 
were  a  comin  long  frum  de  prar  meet  in,  he  seed  sup'n 
shinin  white  flewed  in  de  top  uv  dat  tree,  un 


122 

res  dar  a  little  while,  un  den  melt  away  in  de 
hebens.  He  low  he  know  twuz  a  angel." 

"Well  to  be  sho,  twuz  a  angel,  less'n  twuz  a 
big  white  owl,  one  tother.  Brer  Cormwallus 
always  wuz  a  powerful  sight-seer,  un  mos  in- 
ginully  what  he  see,  is  up  in  de  clouds,  whar 
nobordy  kin  glimpse  it,  cep  hesef." 

"Grandaddy,  he  mout  be  a  powerful  sight 
seer,  but  when  it  come  to  noratin  big  tales,  de 
jenny- wine  eye-openers,  you  kin  gin  im  fat  un 
de  go  un  beat  im  all  holler.  You  got  sich  a 
ratlin  tongue,  you  mus  a  tuck  arter  dat  Marse 
Pat  Henry  I  hyur  you  speak  bout.  But  uv  all  de 
nice  sprisin  things  you  done  tole  me  dese  winter 
nights — un  I  ey  tunnin  none  on  um  down,  caze 
dey  almos  good  is  dem  dime  norvil  books  you 
has  to  pay  ten  cents  fur — pears  like  I  ruther 
fur  to  hyur  bout  our  Miss  Mary,  when  she  were 
little,  den  evy  thing  else." 

"Den  you  ought  a  ax  me  f o  you  wuz  born, 
caze  de  yurs  is  too  short  un  leas'  ways  my  bref, 
to  gin  to  tole  you  all  de  smart  things  dat  chile 
said  un  done.  Of'n  times  Ginny  say,  she  wish 
is  how  she  had  writ  down  some  de  things  she 
say.  Dar  war  none  like  her,  un  ay  nuver  bin 
none  sense,  caze  de  mould  wuz  bruck  dat  she 
wuz  made  in.  She  wuz  one  by  hersef,  what 
dey  call  in  dem  julery  stos  a  solumtaire,  yit  un 
still,  she  war  no  ways  solum.  She  were  de 
beatinis  chile  fur  sense  I  uver  see.  De  servans 


.    .    he  seed  sup'n  shinin  white  flewed  in  de  top  uv  dat  tree'" 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  123 

used  to  say  she  had  a  ole  hade  on  young  shoul 
ders,  un  she  pintly  did. 

"She  put  me  in  mind  uv  dem  little  sweet 
white  flowers,  dat  come  up  in  de  cornder  uv  de 
gyarden  evy  yur,  de  little  snowdraps.  You 
ay  tuck  much  notis  uv  urn  twell  one  day,  you 
happen  to  pass  by,  un  you  smell  sup'n  so  sweet 
you  stop  to  see  what  tis.  Den  you  doe  war 
go  no  furder.  Tay  much,  jes.  a  hanful  uv  white 
un  green,  but  tis  nuff  to  dem  dat  love  sich  things. 
Dat  chile  wuz  jes  de  same — you  ay  think  much 
bout  her  twell  one  day  she  come  to  you  and  look 
up  at  you  so  sweet  and  innercent-like  and  say 
sup'n  so  orncommon  smart  un  funny,  you  bleege 
to  put  down  yo  wuck  un  teck  some  notis  uv  de 
little  thing.  Arter  dat  you  cyar  pass  her. 

"  Ginny  say  she  git  closter  to  you  den  iny  chile 
she  uver  see.  Twuz  de  same  way  wid  evybordy 
on  de  plantashun.  Dem  priddy  little  baby  ways 
teck  her  straight  to  yo  heart ;  un  meek  evybordy 
love  her  frum  de  oldis  to  de  youngis.  In  de 
yearly  spring  time  de  cullured  chillun  always 
went  to  de  woods  to  fine  de  fus  wile  flowers  fur 
her.  De  fus  fruits,  de  fus  un  de  bes  uv  evy- 
thing  wuz  brung  to  her.  Even  de  hardis  ole 
sinners  on  de  place  would  stop  to  pick  up  a 
little  white  rock  ur  a  bright  little  bird  feather 
un  save  it  fur  de  baby.  All  dat  wuz  nuff  to 
ruinate  de  bes  chile  pon  yuth.  But  you  mo'n 
ap  to  guther  a  rose  frum  a  rose  bush,  un  a  weed 


i24  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

flower  frum  a  weed.  So  comin  frum  de  stock 
she  did,  she  bleege  to  be  zactly  what  she  wuz. 
Mo'n  dat  you  cyar  say,  caze  dat  cap  de  climber's 
ax.  She  love  flowers  same's  her  ma  un  de 
budderflies,  un  when  she  wuz  tun  loose  in  de 
gyard'n,  un  you  see  her  runnin  frum  flower  to 
flower,  she  look  all  de  worl  like  a  big  white  budder- 
fly.  Ginny  say  she  nuver  see  sich  a  givy  chile; 
she  always  want  to  vide  evy  cake  un  cracker 
wid  whomsouver  mout  be  roun.  She  say  is  how 
one  mornin  she  dress  her  in  de  sweetis  white 
frock  she  had — she  always  woe  white — wid  de 
bluis  ribbins  to  match  her  eyes,  un  she  lef  her  jes 
outside  de  doo',  wid  dat  same  Betsy  to  look 
arter  her.  She  had'n  been  gone  no  time,  fo  little 
Mary  come  in  de  house  bedout  iny  frock.  Miss 
ax  her  what  she  done  wid  it.  She  say,  'Mamma, 
Betsy  clar  she  nuver  see  noth'n  pruddy  un  fine 
is  my  dress,  un  she  would  be  willin  to  gin  all 
de  candy  un  good  things  she  spec  to  have  nex 
Christmus,  ef  she  had  one  jes  like  it  un,  Mamma, 
her  eyes  look  so  big  un  beggin,  sup'n  inside  tole 
me  to  gin  it  to  her.' 

"  Miss  tell  her  she  want  her  to  be  genous,  but 
she  mus'n  gin  her  clo'es  way  no  mo,  dout  axin 
her.  Marse  ketch  her  up  un  hug  un  kiss  her, 
un  tell  her  she  shall  gin  way  all  her  clo'es  ef 
she  choose,  un  his'n  too. 

"  Miss  low  he  oughtn't  to  spile  de  chile  dat  way, 
caze  twill  be  de  wuss  fur  her  when  she  grow 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  125 

up.  But  I  ay  see  it  is  yit.  It  pear  to  meek 
her  but  de  better.  Her  own  goodnis  wuz  de 
wuss  fur  her,  caze  is  she  growed  up,  she  were  at 
de  beck  un  call  uv  evybordy,  jes  like  her  ma, 
un  sometimes  folks  pose  on  her.  But  twuz 
better  dat  way  den  tother,  I  reckon,  caze,  uv 
sich  is  de  kingdum  uv  Heben.  One  day,  sett'n 
in  Ginny's  lap,  she  say,  'Mammy  Ginny,  huccum 
my  mamma  so  white  un  you  so  brown?'  'I 
dunno,  Honey;  de  good  Lord  meek  us  dat  a  way.' 
She  study  a  little  while  un  say,  'I  know:  He  mus 
a  mix  a  heap  a  brown  sugar  wid  de  san'  He  meek 
you  out,  caze  you  so  brown  un  sweet.'  Ginny 
say  she  use  to  be  always  so  sorry  when  de  baby 
sleep  all  night,  un  she  did'n  have  to  git  up  wid 
her,  caze  she  war  see  her  so  bad  fo  mornin.  Dese 
things  I  speak  uv,  ay  much,  jes  what  crap  out 
in  my  min'  bout  Miss  Mary's  childshood.  An- 
uther  time,  somewhar  long  bout  de  las  a  Feb- 
rary  ur  de  fus  a  March,  she  come  whar  I  wuz 
at  wuck  in  de  gyarden,  un  say,  'Soon  de  blue 
birds  will  be  here,  won't  dey,  Daddy  Ben?  un 
dey  will  sing  un  wake  up  de  flowers,  un  dey  will 
raise  dey  little  yaller  hades,  un  open  dey  priddy 
blue  eyes,  un  peep  at  Mr.  Bee  is  he  come  long; 
den  he  will  stop  un  eat  breakfus  wid  urn,  un 
drink  out  de  little  gole  cups  un  saucers,  won't  he 
Daddy  Ben?'  Ginny  look  at  me  un  shake  her 
hade,  un  say,  'Ain't  she  de  beatinis  chile?  When 
she  git  grown  I  boun  she  gwy  writ  one  dem 


126  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

norvil  books  un  meek  a  big  name  fur  hersef.' 
I  grunt  un  tell  her  she  doe  have  to  writ 
noth'n  to  git  dat;  she  got  it  aready." 

"  Grandaddy,  what  did  you  all  do  bedout  Miss 
Mary  when  she  were   sarnt   away  to   school?" 

"She  wor  sarnt — dat  is,  ontwell  she  wuz  mos 
grown — den  she  had  to  go  to  git  de  fmishin  tetches. 
I  ay  see  no  difTunce  when  she  git  home,  scus'n 
de  pianner  playin;  pear  like  she  fall  off  in  dat, 
caze  de  tunes  ay  no  ways  so  loud  un  lively  is 
dey  wuz.  I  ay  spec  much  uv  dem  finishin  tetches 
nohow,  caze  she  so  finish  fust  nobordy  could 'n 
totch  her.  Marse  always  had  de  Governmiss 
fur  de  chillun,  live  in  de  house.  I  nuver  gwy 
furgit  de  fus  one  dat  took  de  sitivation;  she  try 
to  teck  de  plantashun  too.  She  wuz  one  dem 
ornreasonable,  vinegry  ole  maids,  dat  wuz  too 
sour  to  kotch  a  fly  less  mo  a  beau.  She  skyur 
evything  tother  way,  she  did.  Me  un  Ginny 
say  frum  de  fus,  she  wor  gwy  suit,  un  no  mo'n 
she  nuver.  She  had'n  been  wid  us  long  fo  one 
day  Marse  un  Miss  driv  some  distance  to  see 
some  uv  dey  friens  un  neighbors.  Soon  is  twuz 
time  fur  school  to  be  over,  Ginny  went  fur  little 
Mary  to  gin  her  her  snack,  un  to  teck  her  to  walk. 
But  in  de  name  a  goodniss,  what  you  spose  dat 
Governmiss  done?  She  had  lock  up  dat  chile 
in  de  room,  to  stay  three  ur  fo  hours,  thout  noth'n 
to  eat,  jes  caze  she  miss  a  lesson.  I  always 
bin  thankful  Ginny  nuver  done  noth'n  to  her, 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  127 

caze  when  she  got  to  me  she  wuz  red  hot  un  a 
bilin  mad,  un  me  jes  de  same.  She  say,  'Cose,  Ben, 
I  ay  gwy  low  dat  chile  to  stay  in  dar,  ef 'n  I  has  to 
bus  de  doo  open.'  We  elude  to  wait  twell  Miss 
Green  Simmon  git  out  de  way  fo  we  do  noth'n. 
Dat  what  de  servans  call  her  hine  her  back, 
caze  she  lef  de  same  feelin  in  yo  min'  dat  de 
green  simmon  lef  in  yo  mouf.  She  sot  a  heap 
a  sto  by  de  fresh  ar  fur  hersef,  but  she  lef  dat 
little  thing  to  pine  in  dat  shet-up  room  by  her 
sef,  un  not  so  much  is  a  crum  to  eat.  Arter 
she  got  out  a  sight,  I  tuck  a  ladder  un  prop  tup 
gin  de  winder — twor  fur  frum  de  groun,  un  git 
in  de  room. 

"Much  is  I  could  do  to  suade  little  Mary  to  come 
long  wid  me,  caze  she  low  de  teacher  done  tole 
her  to  stay  whar  she  wuz;  I  say,  'I  reckon  what 
yo  ma  un  yo  pa  say  bout  dat  cum  fus,  un  I  know 
dey  would'n  low  her  to  be  cooped  up  dar,  same's 
a  sick  chicken.'  So  den  I  fetched  her  down. 

"All  uv  we  all  wuz  hoppin  mad  wid  dat  furrin 
omun,  un  when  I  tell  Brer  Cormwallus  bout  it, 
he  nuver  say  much,  but  I  see  he  had  sup'n  in 
he  hade. 

"When  de  Governmiss  come  back  wid  her  clo'es 
all  wet  un  dragglety,  un  sheddin  water  wus'n 
a  water  cyart,  I  knowed  sup'n  wuz  up.  She 
were  mad  is  a  wet  hen,  un  wetter  den  inything 
I  uver  see,  scusin  a  wet  rat. 

"She  nuver  know  it,   but   Brer  Cormwallus, 


128  DEM  GOOD  OLD  TIMES 

when  he  hyur  she  gone  to  walk,  knowed  she 
had  to  cross  Reedy  Creek  fo  she  git  home.  He 
always  were  powerful  foxy,  so  he  went  straight 
dar,  un  took  away  de  rock,  dat  sport  de  plank 
she  had  to  cross  on.  Den  he  hide  hesef  in  de 
bushis.  Cose  is  she  got  bout  de  middle,  de 
plank  flop  down,  un  she  fall  in  de  water,  up  to 
her  knees,  un  had  to  git  out  de  bes  way  she 
could.  She  tuck  her  time  to  put  on  dry  clo'es, 
un  den  went  to  let  de  prisner  out.  Soonsever 
she  could' n  fine  her,  she  come  to  me  wringin 
her  hans,  un  axin  bout  de  chile. 

"She  mout  a  knowed  noth'n  ay  happen  to  her, 
while  me  un  Ginny  roun,  but  she  done  got  ner- 
bous  un  fidgity  in  her  min',  caze  she  know  she 
done  wrong,  to  be  so  tempshus  wid  a  little  chile, 
dat  nuver  bin  lowed  to  have  so  much  is  a  musquiter 
bite.  Den  agin  she  wuz  sizlin  mad  wid  who 
uver  tuck  Mary  out.  I  say,  'No  tellin  whar  she 
at;  she  mout  a  bin  sperited  away,  caze  dat  room 
bin  hantid,  evy  sense  Miss  Nancy  die  in  it.  She 
were  de  fambly  ole  maid,  un  tay  nuver  no  countin 
fur  dem.'  I  tell  her,  I  know  Marse  gwy  be 
turribul  mad  bout  dat  chile  put  in  jail,  un  when 
he  gits  dat  way  tis  awful.  I  try  to  skyur  her 
haf  to  death.  By'm  by,  dey  git  back  un  I  meet 
um  at  de  gate,  un  tole  um  all  bout  it.  I  nuver 
hyur  what  Marse  say  to  de  Governmiss,  but  I 
know  one  thing,  she  tuck  hersef  off  de  nex  day. 
Arter  she  gone,  little  Mary  wuz  happy  is  a  cricket 


'"A\uch  is  I  could  do  to  suade  little  Mary  to  come  long  wid  me' 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  129 

a  moonshiny  night.  I  nuver  know  zackly  how 
it  leak  out,  but  when  Marster  hear  bout  dat 
creek  crossin,  dey  say  you  mout  a  hyurd  im 
laugh  all  over  de  place. 

"Little  Mary  had  a  heap  a  friens,  but  dar  wuz 
one  in  particlar  she  sot  mo  sto  by  den  all  tothers. 
She  were  de  darter  uv  a  widder  lady,  dat  wuz 
mighty  nice,  dough  she  war  no  ways  rich  is  we  all, 
but  she  wuz  one  dem  rale  ristorats.  Is  de  ole  sayin 
go,  money  is  de  root  uv  all  evul,  but  I  ay  see  no- 
bordy  spurn  dat  root  yit,  un  sho's  you  born,  it 
do  byar  powerful  sef-satyfyin,  appetitin  fruit.  But 
we  all  nuver  cyur  noth'n  bout  money,  less'n  twuz 
back  up  wid  blue  blood.  Un  I  gwy  splain  to 
you  what  dat  is,  caze  you  ay  nuver  hyur  much 
bout  it.  One  day  de  chillun  wuz  playin  roun, 
un  one  on  um  fall  down  un  hut  hesef,  twell 
de  blood  come.  I  tun  so  sick  un  pale,  Ginny 
ax  me  what  de  marter.  I  tuck  her  to  one  side 
un  ax  her  is  she  see  dat  chile's  blood.  I  say  I 
always  hyured  we  all  white  folks  wuz  de  blue- 
bloodedis  peoples  in  de  worl,  un  hyur  dat  chile's 
blood  red  is  mine.  I  meek  her  promise  she  wo  say 
noth'n  bout  it  to  nobordy.  Sam  come  long  un 
war  know  what  dat  on  de  chile's  clo'es.  I  say  tay 
noth'n  but  pokeberries,  he  done  mash  on  hesef. 
Sam  one  dem  meddly,  pryin  kin' — he  low  twuz 
de  redis  pokeberry  juice  he  uver  see.  I  say, 
'Go  long,  nigger — dat  caze  you  cross-eyed  un  cyar 
see  straight.  It  look  bluish  to  me. '  Cose  I  bleege 


i3o  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

to  tole  dat  lie.  Den  I  went  straight  to  Marster 
bout  it,  caze  I  wuz  monstrus  trouble  in  my  min'. 
He  tell  me  not  to  be  orneasy,  dat  when  you  say 
a  puss'n  is  blue-bloodid,  it  doe  mean  de  blood 
is  blue  sho  nufT,  like  de  bluin  you  puts  in  clo'es, 
but  dat  he  fo-fathers — pears  like  de  mothers 
doe  count — bin  rale  gempmun,  a  hundud  yurs 
ur  so. 

"Ginny  tell  me  mos  evytime  Miss  buy  nice 
pruddy  things  fur  Mary,  she  had  to  git 
some  uv  de  same  fur  her  frien  Miss  Virginny, 
caze  ef  she  did'n,  Mary  sho  to  have  de  pouts. 
Frum  de  time  she  bout  leven  ur  twelve  yurs 
ole,  she  gin  to  save  all  her  money,  un  teck  it  to 
her  pa  to  keep.  She  nuver  tell  nobordy,  not 
even  her  ma  un  her  mammy,  what  she  gwy  do 
wid  it.  Miss  say  it  did'n  favor  de  fambly  to 
be  savin  like  dat,  un  she  did'n  like  dat  kin'  a 
varigashum.  When  she  got  ready  to  go  to  de 
fashiontable  school  to  git  dem  fmishin  tetches 
I  tole  you  bout,  she  splain  to  her  pa  is  how  she 
want  Miss  Virginny  to  go  long  wid  her.  He 
say  he  did'n  think  she  could  fode  it. 

"She  tell  im  yas,  she  kin,  caze  she  bin  savin 
her  money  a  puppus  fur  dat  very  thing.  Mighty 
few  grown  folks  'ny  deysef  dat  a  way,  less  mo 
a  chile,  but  she  a  Harrison.  Soonsever  she  come 
home,  a  young  lady,  de  beaux  gin  to  swarm 
un  buzz  roun  her,  same's  bees  roun  honey.  Dar 
wuz  always  a  horse  at  de  rack  ur  a  buggy  at 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  131 

de  doo.  She  ac  perlite  to  all  on  um,  but  she 
hole  her  hade  so  top-lofty,  dey  see  she  un  de  wile 
pigeon  roos  too  high  fur  de  sparrers." 

"Grandaddy,  did'n  she  nuver  come  down 
frum  dat  high  perch? " 

"Cose,  ef'n  she  come  a  tall,  it  bleege  to 
be  down;  she  could'n  riz  no  higher.  Dey 
wuz  de  bes  dar  is,  but  twar  none  un  um  fitten 
to  ontie  de  lashis  uv  her  shoes,  less  mo  to  teck 
her  han  in  de  holy  bouns  uv  weddin-lock.  In 
dese  days  un  times,  dar  ay  no  what  you  may  call 
rale  gempmun  nohow,  scus'n  a  few  sich  is  my 
young  Marsters,  caze  dey  all  has  to  wuck  mo'n 
de  servans  done  befo  de  war,  un  wuck  sho 
teck  off  de  quality,  same's  water  teck  de  shine 
off  de  shoe." 

"Grandaddy,  did  Granmammy  live  long  arter 
ole  Miss  die?" 

"Nor,  Honey,  when  Miss  lef  us,  Ginny 
sperit  went  wid  her;  un  arter  dat  she  nuver 
wuz  de  same,  caze  she  did'n  have  no  heart 
fur  noth'n.  De  day  uv  de  fumeral  she  faint 
clean  away,  un  de  doctor  had  to  wuck  on  her 
a  long  time,  fo  he  could  bring  her  back.  She 
grieve  un  pine,  twell  she  loss  all  her  strank,  un 
war  noth'n  but  skin  un  bones.  Den  she  had  to 
tuck  to  her  bade.  Miss  Mary  nuss  un  ten  to 
her  wid  her  own  hans,  same's  she  been  her  ma, 
caze  she  were  her  mammy,  un  she  thought  all 
de  worl  uv  her.  Ginny  say,  '  Honey,  you  could'n 


i32  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

be  no  better  to  me  den  you  is,  but  tay  no  use — 
sense  Miss  is  gone  de  worl  ay  de  same.  We 
wuz  chillun  toguther  un  we  played  un  growed 
up  wid  one  a  nother.  When  inything  happen 
to  me,  I  always  went  straight  to  her.  Ef  twuz 
sup'n  to  meek  me  happy,  pears  like  de  pledger 
wuz  all  de  sweeter  when  I  tell  her  bout  it.  Ef 
I  wuz  sick  she  know  zackly  what  to  do,  un  when- 
somever  trouble  come,  twar  nobordy  could  ease  de 
burden  like  her.  She  wuz  my  Mistiss  un  my  frien, 
de  bes  I  ever  had  on  yuth.  Honey,  pray  you  may 
be  jes  like  her,  un  you  will  have  peace  ornspeak- 
able.  De  doctor  say  he  could'n  fine  no  'sease  in 
Ginny — twor  noth'n  cep  trouble  in  her  min. 

"  One  mornin  she  sarnt  fur  me  un  Miss  Mary, 
un  soonsever  we  sot  eyes  on  her,  we  knowed  de 
end  wuz  nigh.  My  little  Mistiss  kneel  down 
by  de  bade  un  cry  fit  to  break  her  heart.  Ginny 
lay  her  han  on  her  hade,  un  say,  '  Mammy  little 
baby  chile,  doe  cry — Mammy  jes  goin  home. 
Mistiss  waitin  fur  me  up  dare,  un  we  gwy  keep 
close  to  you  un  watch  over  you  all  de  time ;  Honey, 
doe  cry,  caze  it  stress  me  so.'  Den  she  tun  to 
me  un  say,  'Ben,  you  always  been  mighty  good 
to  me,  but  I  has  to  leave  you  now;  doe  grieve 
fur  me,  caze  twoe  be  long  fo  you  come  too,  un 
den  we'll  all  be  toguther  once  mo.'  Den  she 
sing  to  hersef: 

"  'Swing  low,  Sweet  Chariot,  come  fur  to  carry  me  home; 
"  'Swing  low,  Sweet  Chariot,  come  fur  to  carry  me  home.' 


Mammy  little  baby  chile,  doe  cry— Mammy  jes  toin  home'" 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  133 

"She  look  up  un  say,  'Yes,  Mistiss,  I's  comin, 
I's  comin,'  un  wid  a  smile  on  her  face,  she 
went  to  de  promis  Ian.  Fo  we  lay  her  to  res, 
Miss  Mary  cut  a  bunch  uv  white  roses  from 
Mistiss'  bush,  un  lay  um  on  her  breas'.  Some 
times  uv  nights,  when  de  moon  is  swingin 
high  in  de  hebens,  un  I  stans  by  dat  bush,  pears 
to  me  I  kin  see  Mistiss'  face,  in  de  sweetis 
un  whitis  uv  dem  roses. 

"Un  now,  Honey,  you  see  jes  how  tis  wid  ole 
Ben:  de  summer  is  gone,  de  winter  is  here,  un 
I  is  lef  like  de  lone  sparrer  on  de  house  top.  But 
praise  Gord,  Heben  ay  so  fur,  un  all  I  got  is  dar. 

"  'Un  when  my  time  done  cum  to  die, 
Jes  teck  me  back  un  let  me  lie 
Close  whar  de  Jeems  goes  rollin  by 
Down  in  Virginia. 

"  'Case  I  believe  dat  happy  Ian 

De  Lord's  prepyared  for  mortul  man, 
Is  built  igzactly  on  de  plan 
Of  ole  Virginia.' 


CHAPTER  XI 

mus  ay  like  boys  much,  Grandaddy, 
caze  wid  all  we  talkins,  you  ay  nuver 
tole  me  nuth'n  bout  Marster's  sons. " 

"Honey,  we  had  de  likelies  pascel  a  boys,  to  be 
foun  inywhar  roun.  But  yit  un  still,  boys  will 
be  boys,  so  cose  dey's  bad,  un  de  less  you  say 
bout  um  de  better.  De  Scriptur  is  mo'n  ap  to 
tell  de  right  thing,  un  I  always  tries  to  'bey  it. 
So  whensomever  I  sees  two  or  three  boys  guthered 
to  guther,  I  cross  over  on  tother  side  un  git  way 
quick,  caze  I  know  de  devul  is  in  de  midst  on 
um.  Ef'n  de  boys  wuz  all  dade  de  devul  would 
sho  be  mighty  sick. 

"  But  I  ay  no'ways  scrapenat'n  gin  boys,  caze  dar 
bleege  to  be  boys  un  wile  varmints  un  tother 
venmous  things,  on  count  a  stroyin  stray  cats  un 
green  apples,  un  to  keep  de  doctor's  han  in  wid 
settin  uv  laigs  un  arms  un  collar  bones.  I  ay 
min  speakin  bout  Marse  Charles,  now  he  dun  tun 
out  so  good,  but  he  sho  were  de  beatinis  chile  uver 
went  on  two  laigs,  furbadnissun  mischeveousniss ; 

137 


138  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

not  is  he  uver  done  inything  mean — he  jes  much 
bove  dat  is  me — but  wharsomever  dar  wuz  iny 
badniss  gwine  on,  you  may  be  sho  he  wuz  right  in 
it,  un  he  tuck  to  it  jes  is  natchul  is  a  duck  to 
water.  He  had  dat  bright,  happy  dis'sition  dat 
always  lef  a  streak  a  sunshine  behine  im.  He 
pruddy  nigh  tormint  yo  life  out'n  you  sometimes, 
un  on  top  a  dat,  sarve  you  sich  a  outragis  trick, 
you  mos  war  fling  im  in  de  river;  den  he  come 
long  so  full  a  fun  wid  dat  big  heart  un  dem  kind 
ways  a  his'n  un  ready  to  hope  you  bout  what- 
somever  you  doin,  un  fus  thing  you  know,  you 
in  jes  a  good  humor  is  him,  un  you  think  to  yosef , 
cose  boys  will  be  boys.  He  were  wile  un  ornman- 
gable  is  a  two-year  colt,  but  de  same  mettle  what 
meek  de  colt  ornruly,  is  what  give  de  horse  de  dash 
un  de  valibility. 

"Could'n  nobordy  do  noth'n  wid  im,  scusin 
Miss,  caze  he  wor  fraid  uv  de  ole  Scratch  hissef. 
But  when  she  argify  wid  im  bout  he  wile-cat 
ways,  un  de  tears  come  in  her  eyes,  he  promise 
he  wo  do  dat  no  mo,  un  he  nuver  nuther,  but 
he  mo'n  ap  to  do  sup'n  wuss. 

"  He  spen  mos  uv  he  time  out  a  school  wid  de 
horses,  un  dey  all  know  im  un  love  im  same's 
human.  Arter  he  ole  nuff  Marse  low  im  to  breck  all 
de  mules  on  de  place.  Pear  like  he  made  uv  Injun 
Rubber;  when  dey  rar  un  charge,  un  fling  im  bout, 
he  bounce  up  un  on  um,  bedout  a  scratch.  It  put 
me  in  min'  uv  dem  cow  boys  out  Wes,  but  I  ay 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  139 

zackly  ornderstan  huccum  dey  ride  so  good,  wid 
noth'n  but  cows  to  lam  on.     He  teacher    were 
monstros  fond  on   im,  so  one   Sadday   mornin, 
Marse  Charles  vite  im  to  teck  a  ride  wid  im. 
He  were  on  he  own  fine-speritid  horse,  un  arter 
dey  done  gone  a  little  way,  he  ax  im  to  change 
horses,  jes  to  see  how  nice  his'n  went.     Cordin 
to  dat  he  done  it,  but  fo  dey  git  fur,  Marse  Charles 
horse  wheel  roun,  un  jump  up  in  de  ar,  rarin  un 
buckin,  orntwell  he  flung  dat  teacher  clean  over 
he  hade.     Is  he  did'n  move  nor  git  up,  Marse 
Charles  went  to  im,  un  see  he  were  knocked  orn- 
sensible.     He  jump  on  de  horse  un  flewed  like 
de  win,  twell  he  fetched  de  doctor.     By  de  time 
dey  got  back  de  teacher  done  come  to,  but  he 
arm  were  bruck  in  two  places.     Dat  boy  wuz  so 
strestid,  it  meek  you  sorry  to  see  im.      He  went 
like  a  man,  un  tole  de  teacher  dat  twuz  all  his 
fault — he  nuver  would  a  knowed  ef  he  hadn't — 
dat  he  done  larn  de  horse  to  do  dat  trick  when 
he  totch  im  in  a  tickler  place.     He  low  he  know 
he  gwy  frow  im,  but  he  nuver  spicion  he  would 
be    hurtid.     Twar    noth'n    but    chile's    play  to 
Marse  Charles  to  git  pitched  over  a  horse's  hade. 
We  all  wuz  skyured  to  death  bout  what  Marster 
gwy  do  to  Marse  Charles,  caze  he  were  power 
ful  outdone  bout  it. 

"Dick,  he  Marse  Charles'  shadder,  un  he  bin 
followin  im  roun,  uver  sense  he  could  walk.  Dey 
clum  trees,  breck  up  bird  nesis,  went  fishin  un 


i4o  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

huntin,  un  always  toguther.  When  de  news 
spread  bout  what  done  happen,  he  tuck  off 
mos  all  he  clo'es,  un  went  straight  to  de 
house  fur  to  see  Marster.  He  say,  'Marster,  I 
war  splain  dat  bizniss  to  you,  sar.  I  were  de 
one  dat  skyur  de  horse,  un  breck  de  gempmun's 
arm,  sar.  Ornbeknownst  to  Marse  Charles  I 
were  hid  in  de  bushis,  un  when  dey  rid  long  I 
jumps  up  un  skyur  de  horse,  un  he  whirl  roun 
un  done  de  mischuf.  Marster,  please,  sar,  put 
dat  blame  on  me,  which  am  de  guilty  one,  un 
spyar  Marse  Charles.  He  skin  ay  thick  un  tough 
is  mine,  un  tay  gwy  hut  me  so  much,  sar.  Sides, 
Marster,  evybordy  say  he  teck  arter  you  in  dem 
frolicky  nice  ways,  en  ef'n  you  gin  im  sich  tricks, 
sar,  cose  you  ay  gwy  whup  im  fur  it,  sar.  I  know 
Marse  Charles  better' n  you  does,  sar,  un  I  ay  so 
much  is  uver  see  im  hut  a  fly,  but  I  is  see  im  git 
out  de  way  uv  a  worrum,  less'n  he  tread  on  it. 
Marster,  I's  hyur  to  teck  whatsomever  you  got 
fur  Marse  Charles,  but  please,  sar,  doe  totch  him/ 
Evybordy  know  Dick  wor  nigh  de  place  when 
it  all  happen.  But  dar  wor  a  cullured  puss'n  on 
de  plantashun,  what  would'n  a  tole  a  lie  to  git 
Marse  Charles  out  a  trouble.  Un  twor  so  sil- 
dum  dey  had  it  to  do  nuther.  Wid  we  all,  he  were 
de  privdidge  cyarictur. 

"I  member  one  day  in  de  early  spring,  me'n 
Peter  wuz  wuckin  in  de  pea  patch  We 
done  pyar  de  groun  fine,  un  mos  nice  nuff  to 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  141 

eat  fur  de  early  English  peas.  Marse  Charles 
come  long,  he  did,  un  ax  me  to  let  im  hope  to 
plant  um.  He  were  mighty  handy  bout  sich 
things,  so  I  went  long  bout  sup'n  else,  un  lef 
dem  two  to  do  it.  De  peas  come  up  nice  un 
thick,  un  look  like  dey  promis  a  fine  crap.  I 
chuckle  inside  when  I  think  how  I  gwy  git  ahade 
a  dat  black  nigger  crost  de  river,  lawyer  Gray's 
gardner.  Evy  yur  me'n  him  run  a  race  bout  de  fus 
early  vegables,  un  I  always  beat  im,  caze  I  ornstans 
my  bizniss.  But  when  twuz  time  fur  um  to  bloom, 
dar  wor  nary  sign  uv  a  bud,  un  when  we  all  ought  a 
bin  eatin  English  peas,  dey  jes  gin  to  bud.  It 
bother  me  so  I  could'n  sleep,  caze  we  all  use  to 
havin  de  fus  un  de  finis  un  de  fambly  spec  it  uv  me. 
It  mos  meek  me  sick  to  think  dat  man  gwy  gin  he 
white  folks  peas  fo  ourn  git  iny.  But  I  know  he 
had  me  dis  time.  I  ax  Peter  bout  it,  but  I  did'n 
git  no  satyf  acshum.  I  splain  to  Miss  dat  de  seed  wuz 
right,  un  de  groun  jes  de  same,  un  how  I  mighty 
tickler  un  painsful  to  plant  um  on  de  right  uv 
de  moon.  I  tell  her  de  owls  mout  a  pester  dem 
peas,  but  mos  evy  night,  I  bin  out  wid  a  shot  gun, 
un  ay  see  none.  Miss  say,  'Ben,  what  could  owls 
do  to  peas?'  'Sholy,  Miss,  tis  ornpossible  you  bin 
in  de  worl  dis  long  un  ay  know  dat.  Dem  night 
birds  is  mighty  hanty  un  misterisome  things. 
Ef'n  a  hootin  owl  fly  over  a  pea  patch  fo  dey 
come  up,  it  ruinate  de  crap,  caze  it  meek  um 
backuds  un  barren,  wid  no  yieldins  cep  vines.' 


i42  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"Is  we  wuz  a  talkin  bout  de  misfortnit  crap.. 
Marse  Charles  come  up,  un  buss  out  laughin. 
He  say,  'Daddy  Ben,  at  dis  season  we  ginully 
has  lam'  en  peas,  but  now  we  seem  to  be  havin 
noth'n  but  lam-entations.'  He  always  sayin  he 
foolishniss,  but  I  ay  see  noth'n  to  laugh  at.  Den 
he  up  un  tole  Miss  dat,  jes  fur  a  joke  on  me,  he 
plant  sweet  peas,  stidder  de  right  kine.  Dat  boy 
spile  de  whole  crap  a  early  peas,  un  gin  dat  nigger 
de  gloryfyin  uv  hesef  over  my  morticashums, 
jes  to  play  a  trick  on  me. 

"  By  de  time  Miss  got  fru  wid  im,  I  spec  de  joke 
wuz  mos  much  on  him  is  me,  un  I  sho  his  peas 
war  so  sweet  is  dey  wuz.  I  clar  fo  grashus,  I 
were  dat  mad  I  did'n  cyur  what  dey  done  to  im. 
Long  todes  Easter,  one  night,  he  cum  to  my 
house,  to  fotch  me  a  box  a  sto'  chawin  terbaccer. 
When  I  hyur  he  done  spen  all  he  Easter 
money  fur  it,  I  bleege  to  let  it  heal  up  things 
twix  us,  un  meek  de  peace.  Den  twor  nigh  so 
bad  arter  dey  tell  me  dat  black  nigger  over 
yonder  done  loss  all  he  peas  too,  caze  de  cows 
got  in  de  gyarden  one  night  un  clean  out  de 
whole  crap. 

"But  Marse  Charles  wuz  same's  good  middlin,  a 
streak  a  lean  un  a  streak  a  fat.  Wid  him  twuz 
a  streak  a  good  un  a  streak  a  bad,  wid  de  bad  a 
leetle  overlappin  de  good.  But  when  you  spose  de 
wrongniss  uv  inybordy,  tay  noth'n  but  even  han 
jestis  to  tun  im  roun  un  show  up  tother  side.  One 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  143 

mornin,  Marse  Charles  wuz  gwine  over  to  see  Miss 
Virginny ;  f o  he  got  to  de  house,  he  see  a  heaper 
smoke  up  on  de  hill,  un  he  know  sup'n  wuz  wrong, 
so  he  put  spurs  to  he  horse  un  run  im  evy  step 
uv  de  way,  twell  he  he  got  dar.  Sho  miff  one  wing 
uv  de  house  wuz  in  a  light  blaze,  un  evybordy 
stanin  roun  gazin  un  fussin,  bedout  doin  noth'n  to 
put  'tout.  Quick  un  I  kin  tell,  Marse  Charles 
order  evybordy  to  fill  up  evything  dat  could  hole 
water,  un  stan  in  a  line  un  pass  de  bucket  to  him, 
arter  he  got  on  de  roof. 

"  Dey  all  beg  him  'not  to  ventur  on  dat  bunnin 
roof,  un  tell  im  twuz  much  is  he  life  wuz  wuth. 
He  nuver  stop  to  listen,  but  up  he  went,  wid  de 
smoke  un  fire  all  roun  im.  Dick  look  mighty 
wishful  un  arter  a  little  while,  pear  like  he  could' n 
stan  it  no  longer,  so  he  foller  him,  like  he  bin 
always  doin,  un  den  you  could  see  bofe  un  um 
wuckin  same's  a  steam  injun.  When  de  water 
un  de  wet  blankits  gin  to  squench  de  flames,  mo 
men  went  up  to  hope,  un  arter  a  hour  or  so,  dey 
seed  in  savin  de  house.  When  dat  chile  come 
down, — he  war  no  mo'n  sebenteen — he  were  so 
zaustid  fo  he  retch  de  groun,  he  drap  in  a  dade 
faint.  He  hyar  were  swinged  off,  un  he  hans 
so  bu'nt  un  blistered,  he  had  to  be  fed  same's  a 
baby.  Marse  Ginul  Jackson,  when  dey  name 
him  de  Stonewall,  wor  no  braver  den  dat  boy, 
when  he  fit  dem  roarin  flames  all  by  hesef,  un 
whar  older  men  den  him  dars'n  go. 


i44  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"We  wuz  all  mighty  proud  on  him,  un  when  we 
git  him  home,  Marster  put  he  arm  roun  im,  un 
tell  im  he  glad  he  ac  like  he  done,  'fur  greater 
love  have  no  man  dat  he  gin  he  life  fur  he  friens.' 
Marster  know  de  Scriptur  bettern  de  preachers, 
caze  he  doe  have  to  look  in  de  book,  when  he 
talk  it. 

"When  Marse  Charles  git  ole  nuff  to  go  to  collige, 
twuz  a  heaper  scussion  bout  whar  he  gwine. 
Marse  low  he  blieve  twould  be  better  to  sen  im 
Norf,  caze  it  mout  stidy  un  cool  down  he  hot 
Soufern  blood.  I  say  to  mysef,  'Yas,  tis  like  de 
frigrater:  tis  a  mighty  good  place  to  friz  un  stiffin 
you,  but  it  teck  all  de  tase  un  natchul  symtums 
out'n  you.' 

"Marse  Charles  ay  cyur  much  one  way  nur 
tother,  caze  when  you  young  un  light-hearted 
you  cyarries  de  pledgyur  wid  you,  but  arter  you 
ole  un  crepid,  un  yo  heart  is  dry  un  withered, 
pear  like  evything  gits  dimmer  un  dimmer. 
De  sunlight  fade  to  moonlight,  de  moonlight 
to  starlight  un  den  dar  ay  no  light  'tall  cep  what 
de  good  Lord  lef  in  de  hearts  uv  dem  dat  trus 
in  Him.  We  all  nuver  know  what  Marse  Charles 
wuz  to  de  plantashun,  twell  arter  he  gone.  Den 
seem  like  de  pot  stop  bilin,  un  twuz  same's  some- 
bordy  dade,  scusin  de  satyfacshum  uv  de  fum- 
eral.  De  horses  un  de  dorgs  miss  im  much  is 
we  all. 

"By'm  by  we  gits   mighty  churful  letters  un 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  145 

good  counts  bout  what  he  doin  up  dar.  He 
seem  to  like  evything  un  evybordy  mighty  well, 
cep  one  uv  de  teachers,  Fesser  Bald  were  he 
name.  Marse  Charles  low  he  did'n  think  bout 
noth'n  but  money,  un  seem  like  he  wor  so  tickler 
how  he  got  it.  Now  we  all  wor  use  to  sich  is 
dem,  we  wuz  born  to  money,  un  nuver  try  to 
meek  it,  so's  we  did'n  loss  it. 

"  Things  went  long  smooth  twell  well  nigh 
Easter;  den  come  a  tellingraph  to  Marster,  dat 
he  better  come  on,  caze  Marse  Charles  done 
git  in  trouble.  Twuz  all  in  de  papers  un  dis 
wuz  de  marter:  Seem  like  Marse  Charles  writ 
a  letter  to  Fesser  Bald,  wid  de  name  uv  Miss  Hair 
to  it,  un  sarnt  a  mighty  pruddy  pictur  uv  her  long 
wid  it.  She  tell  im  in  de  letter,  her  home  is  in  de 
Souf,  dat  she  hyur  how  much  hade  larnin  he  got, 
un  how  high  he  stan,  dat  she  am  rich  un  would 
like  to  marry  sich  is  him,  ef'n  bofe  sides  could 
come  to  a  greeunce.  Den  de  cordinsporndunce 
degin.  Marse  Charles  had  a  frien  in  de  Souf,  in 
collidgum  wid  im,  bout  sendin  de  letters  backards 
un  forruds.  De  Fesser  were  satyfied  dat  things 
rong  fix  up  all  right  twix  um,  un  jes  fo  Easter,  he 
gin  it  out  dey  gwy  marry  at  dat  time. 

"Den  is  de  weddin  presunts  gin  to  come  in, 
he  got  de  up-sott'n  letter.  I  disremember  what 
it  say — but  Ginny  cut  'tout,  un  put  it  way  in  de 
draw  dar;  you  kin  git  it  un  read  it  to  me  ef'n 
you  choose,  Honey." 


i46  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

"Well,  Grandaddy,  dis  de  way  it  go: 

'"Dear  Mr.  Bald: 

"  'I  did'n  know  how  much  was  expected  of  me 
when  I  promised  to  supply  you  with  hair.  1  now 
find  that  your  head  is  as  bald  as  your  name,  and 
as  hair  and  Bald  must,  in  the  nature  of  things, 
ever  be  at  variance,  I  have  concluded  that  it  is 
better  for  you  to  remain  Hairless  and  happy  than 
that  you  should  be  cumbered  with 

"  'Your  false 

'"Hair."' 

"  It  leak  out  dat  Marse  Charles  were  at  de  bot- 
tum  uv  de  biziniss,  un  dar  wuz  a  pruddy  hot 
kittle  a  fish  un  a  big  to-do  bout  it,  I  tell  you. 

' '  Dey  had  im  up  bef o  de  bode,  un  dey  say  is  he 
stood  dar,  wid  some  dem  fessers  mad  nuff  to 
kill  im  un  tothers  mos  bustin  to  laugh,  dat  he 
were  jes  is  cool  is  a  curcumber  in  de  bottum 
uv  a  bubblin  spring.  He  knowlidge  de  corn, 
un  say  twuz  all  a  joke,  dat  mebbe  he  cyar  it  too 
fur,  un  ef'n  he  did,  he  ax  de  gempmun  pardon. 
Dar  wuz  a  heaper  talk  bout  spellin  im. 

"FesserBald  say  t war  nary  town  in  de  country 
big  nuff  to  hole  bofe  on  um,  dat  ef'n  Marse  Charles 
stay  he  would  lef.  I  dunno  bout  him,  but  Marse 
Charles  stay,  twell  he  time  were  out.  Marster 
wuz  jes  de  man  fur  de  'casion,  caze  he  sich  a  born 
gempmun,  he  po  fofe  de  olive  ile  frum  de  olive 
branch  a  peace,  un  de  trouble  waters  cease. 

"In  dem  good  ole  decent  times,  ef'n  inybordy 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES  147 

dars'n  so  much  is  teck  a  lady's  name  in  vain,  un 
spose  it  f o  de  public,  one  uv  de  nighis  uv  her 
men  kin  wuz  jes  is  sho  to  fit  a  juel  is  de  sun 
were  to  riz.  Now,  frum  de  garrut  to  de  suller, 
dar  ay  no  secrits  in  de  bosum  uv  de  fambly. 
Ef'n  a  lady  so  much  is  ax  a  frien  to  sot  at  her 
table,  de  fuss  thing  de  nex  mornin,  she  see  in 
dem  scanlous  society  papers,  what  she  had  to 
eat,  how  twuz  cooked,  un  what  she  pay  fur  it; 
sometimes  dey  doe  even  lef  out  de  butler.  I 
ay  no  ways  hint  in  noth'n  gin  de  ladies.  I  better 
raise  den  dat.  But  I  hyur  tell  is  how,  in  dey 
own  parlor  wid  dey  compny,  dey  acshully  scussis 
de  stealins  un  meanniss  uv  servans.  Twor  so 
wid  my  Mistiss.  I  jes  soon  spec  to  see  her  took 
a  drink  or  chaw  terbaccer,  is  to  scuss  de  short- 
cumins  or  de  long-cumins  nuther  uv  her  servans. 
She  were  too  high  fur  sich  is  dat. 

"When  Marse  Charles  come  home  frum  collige, 
he  were  dat  hansum  un  dardevlish,  dey  call  im  a 
reglar  lady-killer.  But  he  wor  studyin  bout 
none  on  um.  He  low  he  wor  nuver  gwy  marry, 
ontwell  he  could  fine  somebordy  hansum  un 
sweet  is  he  mother  un  Miss  Mary.  Marster  say, 
'Den  you  be  ole  is  Mister  Methuseler  fus.'  Dat 
huccum  Marse  Charles  ole  batchler  now,  caze  cose 
twor  none  on  um  he  could'n  a  had  fur  de  axin. 

"  I  hyur  is  how  he  un  Miss  Virginny  is  co'ten 
one  anuther.  Well,  mos  inyman  bleege  to  git 
kotch.  when  all  de  ladies  in  love  wid  im  un  arter 


i48  DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 

im.  But  dar's  many  a  slip  twix  de  cup  un  de 
mouf,  un  in  sich  marters,  dar  ay  no  cup  slipry 
is  Marse  Charles.  Miss  Virginny  is  mighty  nice, 
un  I  sayin  noth'n  gin  er,  mo'n  she  ay  good  nuff 
fur  Marse  Charles;  but  arter  he  gin  her  he  name, 
un  she  cum  in  our  fambly,  I  spec  she'll  do. 

"But  eben  ole  age  have  some  vantigis." 

"  What  dat,  Grandaddy  ? " 

"  I  wo  live  to  hope  raise  no  mo  little  Charlesis — 
dey's  too  mischeevious  un  worrysome.  Arter  he 
sow  he  wile  oats,  thick  un  broadcastid,  he  settle 
down  to  fight  gin  de  flesh  un  de  devul,  un  now  he 
reapin  a  rich  harvis  frum  de  good  seed  Miss  sow 
in  de  hearts  uv  all  her  chillun.  Dey  rise  up  un 
call  her  blessid,  un  her  friens  un  servans  rise  up 
un  call  her  blessid,  un  I  reckon  de  angels  bless  her 
too,  is  she  pass  f ru  dem  pearly  gates. 

"Little  Ginny,  in  de  name  a  sense  what  you 
meek  all  dat  mess  in  hyur  fur,  wid  all  dem  papers 
scatter  roun?  Evy  time  I  come  in  lately,  you 
got  dat  pen  in  you  han  stidder  a  broom  ur  a 
kittle;  pears  like  de  mos  learnin  you  gits  at  school 
is  how  to  write  yo  name;  un  less'n  you  'have  yosef 
un  do  right,  de  sigimication  is  but  de  wusser." 

"  Grandaddy,  I  know  sup'n  gwy  sprise  you  so 
twill  meek  yo  hyar  stanon  een,  un  ef'n  you  prom- 
mise  not  to  cut  up  no  shines,  mebbe  I  mout  tell 
you." 

"  I  ay  promis  you  noth'n,  caze  you  is  too  out- 
dacious  un  disrespecable.  Talk  bout  me  cuttin 


DEM  GOOD  OLD  TIMES  149 

up  shines,  same's  I  a  mule !  Whar  yo  manners 
at  ?  But  tis  jes  dat  freedum  a  crapin  out,  un  I 
doe  spec  no  better." 

"  Grandaddy,  I  clar  fo  gracious  I  nuver  went  fur 
to  meek  you  mad.  I  jes  war  tole  you  what  Miss 
Mary  say.  Evy  mornin  while  I  waitin  on  her, 
I  tell  her  bout  dem  good  ole  times  we  bin  talkin 
bout  dese  long  winter  nights.  She  low  I  mus 
member  evything  you  say,  un  writ  it  down,  un 
she  gwy  put  it  in  a  book  un  public  it. " 

"Gal,  what  dat  you  say?  is  you  gone  clean 
stractid?  Miss  Mary  ay  gwy  do  no  sich  a  thing, 
caze  she  cyar  meek  no  book  out  a  me.  I's  a 
specable  man,  un  always  hole  myself  bove  gitt'n 
mix  up  mid  newspapers  un  print  un  all  dem 
scanlous  things.  I  ay  nuver  see  no  nigger's  name 
in  print  yit.  scus'n  he  done  sup'n  mean,  caze 
ef'n  he  'have  hesef,  tay  no  mo'n  he  ought  er  do, 
so  cose  dar  ay  no  notis  tuck  on  it.  I  dunno 
what  meek  Miss  Mary  study  bout  doin  sich  a 
outlandish  thing  is  dat,  less'n  she  done  git  tetched 
wid  freedum  hersef .  When  dat  teck  hole  on  you 
seem  like  it  driv  all  spornsibilityniss  out'n  you, 
un  mo'n  ap  to  lef  you  high  un  dry." 

"  Grandaddy,  she  say  cullured  folks  ay  got  no 
notion  how  things  use  to  wuz,  when  de  bes  white 
folks  in  de  worl  wuz  we-all's  friens. " 

"  Well,  Honey,  Miss  Mary  got  a  heap  a  sense, 
un  mebbe  she  right,  but  I  hope  she  ay  gwy  mis- 
grace  me  too  much.  Caze  it  go  mighty  hard 


DEM  GOOD  OLE  TIMES 


wid  me,  fur  to  be  one  dem  no-count  public  cyar- 
aricturs.  Arter  I  dade  un  gone  twill  be  time 
a  nuff  to  put  me  in  de  print.  When  de  een 
come  un  I  hand  in  my  las  rickerdashuns,  de  bes 
I  kin  say  fur  mysef,  'I  wuz  Mistiss'  faithful  Hade 
Gardner,  in  dem  good  ole  times  befo  de  war.'  " 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


RENEWED  BOOKS  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  IMMEDIATE 
RECALL 


LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-25m-6,'66(G3855s4)458 


N9 


Dooley,   S.M. 

Dem  good  ole 
times. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


